I believe I perceive that I have the ability to alter my perceptions.

I believe I perceive that I have the ability to alter my perceptions.
If I have nothing else to work with, it doesn't matter whether or not my existence is real, or virtual. If, at the edge of the universe, all is encircled by a gigantic metal ring, or isn't, it's still the same universe. At least as far as we can tell. That metal ring doesn't affect us, and while it might fundamentally alter the way we think the universe is, if I can't see it, and it doesn't affect me in any way, then who cares? It's irrelevant to the way I live my life, or the way I perceive that I live my life. If we're in pods sucking nutreints through a straw with artificial reality being beamed into our skulls, well, if there's no way out and no way in, then it shouldn't affect how I live. Nihilism is stupid because if nothing is real, well- who cares? I perceive certain things, or hell, I've deluded myself into perceiving them. The end result is the same. If my life is a movie, I'm not in any position to start arguing over the ticket price, because I'm IN THE MOVIE. And no matter how hard a movie character strains at the fourth wall, he will never, ever break through.