They find it therapeutic because writing is meaningful. Well seeing as many people find meaning, it's telling that Nihilist haven't. I don't think it's surprising at all, whether meaning is ascribed to each individual or an overarching objectice purpose for humans as a whole, not everyone will agree on a meaning, for the reasons above. Maybe the purpose of a Nihilist is to show others how dreadful life can be if they don't know/find/believe there is meaning. Just as an alcoholic is a good example of why not to abuse alcohol. Perhaps the purpose transcends us, or we have to attain a certain level of realization. Say after thousands of years of warfare, distrust of another, fear etc, we will figure out our full potential by changing our mindset, working together, trusting another and fulfilling our destiny of taming the universe for the benefit of the whole. Who knows!
I also mentioned that those same philosophers had also given up writing after reaching the conclusion that it was meaningless. And what you call "meaning" a nihilist would call "illusion". What you consider to be meaningful and important is anything but. It's only through an act of self-deception, a subconscious act, which allows for these feelings of importance to be imposed on things which have none. An earlier poster in this thread spoke of the distinction between nihilists and absurdists; I'd like to suppose the major distinction between the two is the nihilist is simply a lousy liar. He can't be satisfied by sweet-sounding platitudes. And I find it rather ironic that you answer my post about the summation of mankind's efforts to understand its place in the universe as being a shoulder-shrug with the ever-so uncommitted response of "who knows". So if that's really as clever as we can get, then I feel its time to ask the big question of whether "who knows" is a good enough answer to continue with this existence.
Seeing as the universe is upwards 13 billion years old and nearly all of humanity was wiped out less than 15,000 years ago, and other minor catastrophes since then, I would say we are doing alright. Hell we are still stuck on one planet out of untold numbers. You may have missed it, I also said any meaning may transcend us as well. I also said, if we overcome our preoccupation with fear, war, distrust etc. We may accelerate our journey toward understanding.
But if our meaning transcends our understanding then what use is it to us? And if humanity some day advances to the point where all of life's answers are within everyone's grasp, then what of all the people who lived and died before that time? Do we just say, tough luck? Too bad? Does all of the misery in the world suddenly become absolved once one finds his "meaning" (a seemingly arbitrary and totally subjective idea)?
Think about the plants, algae, etc that provide us with oxygen. They don't understand the meaning of what they are doing, nonetheless the are fulfilling a role in achieving a transcendent purpose. Perhaps we are not as special as we like to think, and we are the algae for a greater meaning. We could say "what about the monkeys..." and on and on, for me, the virtues of love, liberty and truth are necessary for mankind to transcend the animal mentality. I may not experience the fruit of my endeavour, but knowing I played some role for future generations to live in peace and conquer the universe, and fulfill perhaps the destiny of humanity is meaning to my life.
I didn't respond to your last part, my bad. Does all of the misery... I am not even sure where that is coming from, how a world of misery could be absolved by one person finding meaning? I doubt it. If the meaning I set forth above was achieved, there would be no misery for anyone to be absolved. I feel some frustration from you by how you phrased that, as if misery ought to be absolved. If that be the case and that is meaningful to you, embrace the virtues I named and play your role toward a world free of misery. The problem is, would we want to live in such a world? How could you enjoy paradise if you haven't known the other side? What is love if love is all there is? Doing something daring is only exciting because we overcome our apprehension and the risk is injury or death. Maybe this is the best possible world, and we need to experience the good and the bad, elation and misery. We are a little off track but that's okay!