We can explore this in different ways.
CAN APPEAR AS A PARADOX
If we take thoughts as holding exclusive truth, then this can seem a paradox. (1)
How can both be true?
THE NATURE OF THOUGHTS
If we recognize thoughts as thoughts, this seems different.
Thoughts are questions about the world. They are here to help us orient and navigate in the world.
Thoughts cannot hold any full, final, or absolute truth. That’s not their function. (2)
Here, we recognize that everything and nothing and matters are all ideas. They are mind-made and not inherent in the world.
THE VALIDITY OF BOTH
And there is validity in both.
When I explore this, I find…
Nothing matters
To matter is an idea. I cannot find it outside of an idea. It’s not inherent in reality. Nothing matters because I cannot find “to matter” outside of my ideas of it.
Everything matters
To me, everything happens within and as the consciousness I am. It’s literally me taking all these forms. Everything matters because to me it’s all me.
Also, as a human being, I love this world. I love nature. I love all the ways reality shows up. I love how the universe has formed itself into all we know. I am part of this world so everything matters to me.
It’s all true in its own way.
NOTES
(1) To get to this point where thoughts seem true AND mutually exclusive, we have to do a lot of mental gymnastics. We have to convince ourselves, against overwhelming contrary evidence, that our thoughts somehow are true. (Whatever that means.) And we have to convince ourselves, again against overwhelming evidence, that whatever validity is in different thoughts is mutually exclusive.
(2) Our ideas about the world highlight some features and leave other things out. They leave out an infinite amount, and we mostly don’t even know what’s left out. They are different in nature from what they point to. They reflect our unique viewpoints and biases. The world is always more than and different from our ideas about it.