As one of the greatest philosophers of the 19th century, Friedrich Nietzsche had much to say on everything from politics to art to religion.
His ideas are often profound, but sometimes they are also surprisingly natural and obvious to open minds.
He is a thinker associated with nihilism and the deconstruction and complete critique of Western European culture. It is therefore not surprising that it became popular again during the countercultural movements of the 1960s.
What may be surprising, however, is how its ideas can apply to so many different aspects of your life.
So here are ten ideas from Nietzsche that might very well challenge your outlook on life.
Who was Nietzsche?
This philosopher has been vilified by many different groups over the years, so it’s helpful to explain a little about his personal history to put things in perspective.
Born in Prussia in 1844, Frederick Nietzsche was a brilliant student who indulged in writing, poetry and musical composition as hobbies. He also studies classical languages and is interested in philosophy through them.
He became a professor and taught classical studies while beginning to write down his philosophical ideas. He later became an independent philosopher, publishing actively until 1889, when he suffered a nervous breakdown.
Nietzsche died in 1900 and his sister inherited his unfinished works and writings.
As a German ultranationalist, she edited her work to fit her politics, thereby associating it with anti-Semitism and nationalism, and later with fascism and Nazism. However, he explicitly opposed these ideas in his works published during his lifetime.
He is best known for his critiques of European tradition and its Christian foundations.
The quotes below, however, reveal his deep thoughts on a wide range of topics and ideas.
1) “What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger.” »
Here’s a quote you’ve probably heard, even if you didn’t know it came from Nietzsche.
This quote has been used so widely today that its original meaning has been somewhat confused.
He never meant that we humans should look for reasons to suffer or that we should rejoice in suffering.
Instead, his view was that anyone can transform suffering into opportunity to learn and growing up was doing well for themselves.
Rather than just sitting back and accepting suffering, he felt we should take this quote as a mantra and find ways to actually make it true.
2) “Even the most beautiful landscape is no longer assured of our love after we have lived there three months, and some distant coast attracts our avarice: possessions are generally diminished by possession. »
It’s Nietzsche’s version of “familiarity breeds contempt” mixed with “the grass is always greener on the other side.”
Here, he reminds us of something we know all too well: wanting often has more influence on our behavior than having.
Nietzsche himself never married although he proposed three times to the same woman, Lou Andreas-Salomé. When asked why he didn’t want to give it up, he replied that his one way Love was one of the most important parts of his life.
He believed that desire and desire are incredible motivators for us that influence our behavior while achieving our goals and accomplishing the things that end our motivation.
3) “He who does not have two-thirds of his day to himself is a slave, whoever he may be: a statesman, a businessman, a civil servant or a scholar. »
Nietzsche had a lot to say about slaves and masters.
He grew up in a time when there was a huge divide between the aristocracy and the masses, groups he called masters and slaves.
And while he wasn’t talking about actual slavery, he felt that most people enslave themselves by following a guideline. slave mentality and morality.
Here he clearly expresses how he feels about working for others and how it prevents the average person from being free.
In these terms, he essentially criticizes modern 9-5 jobs and provides a basic argument for why you should have a side hustle or even make it your main job.
4) “He who cannot obey himself will be commanded.” »
Nietzsche’s ideas about the master and slave mentality continue in this quote.
But this time he talks about internal and external pressures.
As we saw in the last quote, he places most of the responsibility for what we might call “modern wage slavery” on the shoulders of its victims.
Here he basically says that you need to make yourself strong so that others can’t take advantage of you.
He thought it was natural for powerful people to use and take advantage of weaker people.
So the only protection against exploitation is to make yourself unexploitable.
It involves developing the intelligence, strength, and self-discipline that will help you resist the influence of others and be your own person.
5) “People are always angry at anyone who chooses very individual standards of life; because of the extraordinary treatment this man gives themselves, they feel degraded, like ordinary beings.
Expect to have a lot of friction because you are different and you do what you want.
If you can develop yourself in a way that moves you away from the influence of others and makes your own rules, other people who can’t will resent you.
Seeing what you can do makes them feel their own inability more deeply.
When we see someone find their get out of the rat racefor example, we often feel jealousy and resentment if we’re still stuck there, rather than simply being impressed and appreciative of what they were able to accomplish.
6) “The first opinion that comes to us when we are suddenly questioned on a question is generally not our own, but only the usual opinion, appropriate to our caste, position or parentage; our own opinions rarely float to the surface.
According to Nietzsche, we enslave ourselves by blindly adhering to the ideas and opinions of others.
And that’s true.
Many people simply regurgitate what they hear in the news or what others are talking about rather than taking the time to think deeply about the topics and form their own opinions.
We are also under a lot of pressure to side with the majority and not swim against the tide, even if it is contrary to how we actually feel.
7) “He who humbles himself wants to be exalted. »
In writing this line, Nietzsche intended it as a critique of the Christian foundations of European culture.
At the time, the Church taught that “the meek shall inherit the earth,” and that is what he was referring to.
But he considered this gentleness to be an imposture.
This quote is therefore a warning against people who have two facespeople who will highlight their seemingly humble good deeds to gain prestige and respect.
8) “A strong and well-built man digests his experiences (acts and misdeeds combined) as he digests his meat, even if there are pieces that are difficult to swallow. »
Apologies, but this is what Nietzsche wrote in the 1800s, when men did not normally include women in their philosophical ideas.
And if you’re vegetarian, you can replace the word “meats” with “beets” or another difficult-to-chew vegetable.
But his idea still gives us some sound advice.
It is a statement of recognition that you must both understand and accept all of the experiences that make you the person you are in order to be a whole person.
Rather than forgetting or leaving your mistakes behind, you should learn from them and understand that they have helped shape you as much as your successes.
9) “There is more wisdom in your body than in your deepest philosophy. »
Speaking about what constitutes us, Nietzsche used the human body as an example of the wonders of nature.
Although he had no specific scientific training, he rightly recognized how complex, developed, efficient and advanced we are as biological beings.
He also felt that our minds and reasoning were far behind and that even the most intelligent among us were morons compared to the genius of nature.
10) “Isn’t life a thousand times too short to be bored? »
For a philosopher associated with the concepts of nihilism and existential crises, this quote is surprisingly brilliant.
But isn’t he absolutely right that the world is full of endless wonders to discover and explore?
This shows us that Nietzsche was more complex than just a social commentator but a person with deep interests and real commitment with the world.
Final Thoughts
Nietzsche’s ten ideas are just a quick overview of his philosophy.
But I hope they say as much about his thoughts as they do about yours and help you question your perspectives on life.
And don’t worry: if you find Nietzsche fascinating, there’s plenty more where they came from!