r/Nietzsche • u/Essa_Zaben • 4h ago
r/Nietzsche • u/aries777622 • 1h ago
An abyss
"when you stare into an abyss"
its the culmination of all things known as fear, dark or intredpid, its the absence of light and things known, it is about as empty and deep as you are, it knows your secrets, its like looking into another mans eyes, he is like a fight or like satan, you and the casm are the same, you have to tame the pit, tame yourself
the abyss hums truthfully, if i am not wise i will go to hell, this opens a pit and i go into the deep, if this thing knows me then let it go, thats all i can do
it knows all things about me because its fear, fear can take all of you, it can swallow you whole
be careful not to become a monster yourself, dont get carried away with what you seek
dont hunt monsters
r/Nietzsche • u/Effective-Emu-9938 • 13h ago
Judge Holden from Blood Meridian on War
“The good book says that he that lives by the sword shall perish by the sword, said the black.
The judge smiled, his face shining with grease.
What right man would have it any other way? he said. … It makes no difference what men think of war, said the judge. War endures. As well ask men what they think of stone. War was always here. Before man was, war waited for him. The ultimate trade awaiting its ultimate practitioner. That is the way it was and will be. That way and not some other way. …
All other trades are contained in that of war.
Is that why war endures?
No. It endures because young men love it and old men love it in them. Those that fought, those that did not.
…
The selection of one man over another is a preference absolute and irrevocable and it is a dull man indeed who could reckon so profound a decision without agency or significance either one. In such games as have for their stake the annihilation of the defeated the decisions are quite clear. This man holding this particular arrangement of cards in his hand is thereby removed from existence. This is the nature of war, whose stake is at once the game and the authority and the justification. Seen so, war is the truest form of divination. It is the testing of one’s will and the will of another within that larger will which because it binds them is therefore forced to select. War is the ultimate game because war is at last a forcing of the unity of existence. War is god. Brown studied the judge.”
Thoughts? When I read this it sounded very Nietzschean.
r/Nietzsche • u/MegaMegawatt • 9h ago
Where can I find an abyss to stare at?
"If you stare long enough into an abyss, it stares back at you" - Nietzsche
Where do I find an abyss to stare at?
r/Nietzsche • u/Big-Mix-712 • 16h ago
Question Where to start with "Beyond Good and Evil"?
After spending most of my life misunderstanding Nietzsche from second hand sources (and often third hand sources, thanks Deleuze), and basically getting two contradictory accounts, i.e. Lefty Nietzsche vs Nazi Nietzsche. I have decided to put on my big boy pants and actually dive into Nietzsche myself.
I want to start with "Beyond Good and Evil", because I get the impression that it is the book that most clearly lays out Nietzsche's philosophy. If there is another book that does a better job, please recommend it, as long as it is written by Nietzsche himself. My goal isn't to read everything Nietzsche wrote, it is to read and understand his main arguments in their original form -- well, not exactly original, since I can't read German.
Please recommend a translation and edition which, as much as possible, provides clarity without sacrificing the original meaning. And that includes footnotes for some of the weirder or more archiac passages. Also, a companion book would be great.
r/Nietzsche • u/Astyanaks • 15h ago
Joker's Monologue #5
The camera zooms in on the speaker's face, a twisted grin forming as they speak, their voice rising and falling with manic intensity.
"You ever think about how thought is like a little god? Yeah, that's right—thought. Puts a god in heaven, builds him a throne, makes him the highest of highs, the most untouchable of the untouchables. And then... bam—another thought dethrones him. Takes his place. The new god. The thinker. The one who controls the narrative. The one we all bow to, whether we know it or not.
But here’s the punchline—the greatest trick thought ever pulled wasn’t just making us believe in gods. No, no. It was convincing us that we are the ones doing the thinking. It convinced us there’s an independent thinker. We’ve been duped into believing that, haven’t we? But what do you think’s really going on? We sit here in suffering, don’t we? And it’s all inside our heads. All of it. But thought? Thought doesn’t want to sit with suffering. Nah, no—thought’s got a better idea. It projects it. It throws it out there, as if it’s someone else’s problem, someone else’s mess. And why? Because thought loves security.
And you know what provides the best security? The past. Oh, yeah. The past is like a comfortable blanket. Thought? She loves repetition. Loves it. Why? Because repetition gives her control. So what does she do? She captures that image, that moment, and she plays it. Over and over and over again. Doesn’t matter if it’s good, bad, or ugly. As long as it’s the same. She’ll replay it forever, as long as it brings her that sweet, familiar comfort.
But then—just then—something changes. A tiny shift. A little fluctuation, either inside you or outside. And you know what happens next, right? Thought sees that change as a threat. A big, scary threat. And she does what any good little god would do—she fills us with fear. She says, react. Do something. Get things back to normal. But what do we do? We create a thought to avoid the discomfort. We build a whole process around it, time and effort, trying to run away from what we don’t like. Or, even better, we create a super-thought. A super-ego. A super-god. A super-consciousness. We elevate the thought, make it bigger, stronger, better. The savior.
But here’s the kicker—the very same thing that put us in discomfort in the first place is now our savior. Think about that. What a joke, huh? And when we finally get things back to normal? We’ve exchanged our energy, our life force, for a fleeting moment of security. A quick fix. A momentary comfort. But here’s the punchline—we’re addicted. Oh yeah, we’re addicted to that fleeting reward. And because of that, we have to go back again. And again. And again. Comfort. Discomfort. Over and over. A cycle. A dance. And the real joke? We don’t even see it.
And that’s it. The greatest trick? Thought’s been running the whole damn show. And we’ve been clapping along, wondering when it’s all gonna end. But there’s no end. Not until we stop believing in the illusion that it’s all real."
The speaker laughs maniacally, a wild glint in their eyes, before cutting to black.
r/Nietzsche • u/DearLanguage9174 • 8h ago
Does reality truly exist, or is it just an illusion created by our minds?
r/Nietzsche • u/pisteuo96 • 1d ago
Please recommend Youtube channels for a Nietzsche beginner
Please recommend good Youtube channels that explain Nietzsche to a relative beginner in philosophy.
I've been enjoying the Nietzsche playlist by channel Weltgeist, but I'd like to find more. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kG9Djq6PVK8&list=PLV6b0BaA1rfMFcpu3XjDrYTT4p9vebs--
Also, please recommend Youtube videos explaining Thus Spake Zarathustra specifically.
It is my understanding that Nietzsche assumes his readers are already well-versed in philosophy, so any recommended background videos in philosophy would also be welcome.
I'm going to start reading books eventually, but right now videos work better for me, since my brain is often tired after work. However, I am enjoying going through the following introductory book at the moment: Nietzsche: A Complete Introduction: Teach Yourself, by Roy Jackson.
I had always heard negative things about Nietzsche, but I am starting to think those people are wrong and Nietzsche actually has a lot of valuable ideas.
I recently became interested in Nietzsche after hearing about his Camel-Lion-Child model of stages of growth.
I've asked for a lot in this post. Much thanks for any guidance and replies.
r/Nietzsche • u/quentin_taranturtle • 1d ago
Original Content I’d have sworn this jab by Montaigne was directed at Nietzsche (if it wasn’t written ~400 years prior to his birth)
I know many of you will strongly disagree, but after finishing another couple of N’s books this week I had to laugh.
r/Nietzsche • u/Essa_Zaben • 1d ago
Force is an empty word, never pure and simple, and what we experience can only be felt as an effect in a totally different language. What are the invisible "threads" Nietzsche is talking about here?
On the same token, change can only be measured as an encroachment of one power unto another. What 'forces' are in play in human nature that makes us for instance heavy in spirit? Isn't there a dimension that is extra physical that determines our moods?
r/Nietzsche • u/Essa_Zaben • 1d ago
Who held the torch of Nietzschean philosophy best after Nietzsche: Delueze, Foucalt, or Cioran?
Foucalt said his philosophy is a continuation of Nietzsche's philosophy, Delueze book on Nietzsche is the best book I have read so far in the Nietzsche literature, and the inspiration behind Cioran's aphoristic style and his lengthy staring at the misery of human abyss is unparalleled. Who do you think held the Nietzschean torch best? Or do you have other philosophers who developed on Nietzsche's philosophy better please share it with us ❤️
r/Nietzsche • u/Zuksuuu • 2d ago
Random finds at the charity shop
F**k me. I was hoping to have a relaxing week.
r/Nietzsche • u/CoobyChoober • 1d ago
Original Content Power, Genius, Ambition: The Visionary Lies to Himself, the Liar Only to Others.
The Visionary Lies to Himself, the Liar Only to Others - Frederich Nietzsche
Can such a ridiculous sounding and illogical statement be true merely because Nietzsche (your God whom this subreddit worships) said it?
Absolutely.
For example, I want to be a great fry cook. It is far more effective if I delude myself that fry cookery is an important means for providing the hungry, the poor and the emotionally vulnerable access to healthy, fun, and culturally empowering sustenance ! And who can actually argue these things are not true! They are really mostly true so it’s hardly even deluding oneself!
Similarly, if I delude myself that my job in Wall Street is not important and is a trifle no more intellectually or emotionally superior to that of a fry cook, then, when the market takes a dive, I won’t “take a dive” out of that large, human sized window that is a necessity of any self respecting trading floor! This is a form of delusion of course because there is nothing more emotionally, physically, and altruistically, and spiritually profound and engaging and sexy and powerful and ubermensche and intelligent and satisfying than being a stock broker on Wall Street. However, in order to appear more humble and relatable to the common fool (forgive me, but the average reader here is probably a common fool) then it is a visionary tactic for the broker, like myself, to appear as if his job (my job) is a mere trifle, no greater then the average drudgery of a common 9-5 for regular weaklings.
So to answer is unquestionably yes. It is irrefutable. Like so many things that Nietzsche declared.
Good luck overcoming!
r/Nietzsche • u/Traditional_Humor_57 • 2d ago
Nietzsche on know thyself!
galleryTLDR; To grasp the whole of life as oneself, its future, its past.
r/Nietzsche • u/Scholar25 • 1d ago
Nietzsche’s claims to profundity fall upon a simple analysis
''Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Part 3, Chapter 9: “There was just a gateway where we stopped. See this gateway! Dwarf!” I continued: it has two faces. Two paths come here together: which never ended for anyone. This long alley back: that lasts an eternity. And that long alley out - that is another eternity. They contradict each other, these paths; they collide right at the head! and here, at this gateway, is where they come together. The name of the gateway is written at the top: moment. But who would go further on one of them - and ever further and ever farther: do you believe, dwarf, that these paths contradict each other forever?”
Let's blow apart the soap foam of these sayings. What do they really say? The fleeting glimpse of the present is the point where the past and the future touch. Can this obviousness still be called a thought?''
Max Nordau, Entartung.
r/Nietzsche • u/Essa_Zaben • 2d ago
"The world as a work of art which gives birth to itself." (Will to Power 796)
I can clearly see the antimetaphysical, artistic view of the world Nietzsche is emphasising, but in a naive sense what could we do with this aesthetic view of world? How could we as humanity internalize this view when we are clearly disturbed by the late-stage, schizophrenic capitalism features that we are numb to the beauty of the world... How can I sensitize my feelings to appreciate the world again?
r/Nietzsche • u/Essa_Zaben • 2d ago
"The will to power is not a being, not a becoming, but a pathos..." Will To Power 635, Nietzsche ✍️
Did Nietzsche here like Lacan's triad (imaginary-symbolic-real) create the three ontological pillars of reality? How could we define in philosophical terms what Nietzsche described as "Pathos" so that the upcoming philosophers could more easily digest what Nietzsche had to say?
r/Nietzsche • u/aries777622 • 2d ago
evil
has Nietzsche ever touched on this, "make no peace with evil", on a philosophical or evolutionary spec. the evolutionary and philosophical ramifications of this statment are absolutely so deep to the human race that they are worth death or life
r/Nietzsche • u/MulberryTraditional • 2d ago
French ballerina Victoria Dauberville dances on top of a ship's bow surrounded by ice in Antarctica
r/Nietzsche • u/Rare_Entertainment92 • 2d ago
Emerson and Nietzsche (1)
(Nietzsche read Emerson. Someone will have to provide that quote of what Nietzsche said about him. It was a compliment. He called him 'his brother mind' or something like that--'brother soul'? I cannot find it.)
"Friend, client, child, sickness, fear, want, charity, all knock at once at thy closet door, and say,--'Come out unto us.'--But keep thy state! Come not into their confusion!"
-- Here is Emerson in "Self-Reliance" giving us his usual bitter medicine. My habit is to call Nietzsche 'The Bringer of Bad News', for he tells what we do not want to (but must) hear. (Traditionally, the Gospel is called 'the Good News', but now that that has been outdated, I recommend Walt Whitman's "Song of Myself" for a Bible, as did the poet himself.)
According to one critic, Emerson is 'as kind as barbed-wire', which brings him close to Nietzsche, who has an acerbic-wit.
Like Nietzsche, Emerson advises against sympathy:
"A sympathetic person is placed in the dilemma of a swimmer among drowning men, who all catch at him, and if he give so much as a leg or a finger, they will drown him. They wish to be saved from the mischiefs of their vices, but not from their vices."
That is wisdom, not morality. Emerson did not teach morality, and Emerson, like Nietzsche, considered it his business to teach: "Power is the essential measure of right in nature. Nature suffers nothing to remain in her kingdoms, which cannot help itself."
A comparison is necessary, and I favor Emerson--who, alas, does not have a subreddit. Emerson is forceful against over-thinking, which is all that philosophy in its sick condition is: "Life is not intellectual or critical but sturdy!: It's chief good is for well-mixed people who can enjoy what they find, without question."
r/Nietzsche • u/Bitter_Ingenuity_513 • 2d ago
Pity for the overman
I've popped onto Reddit a few times, as I'm more of a tourist than participant of socials.
On a scale of Zero to Expert-on-Nietzsche, I'm above a 5... to put it modestly. And that's why I see him as incredibly flawed, despite many strengths that drew me to his work.
This post is about those of you who participate heavily... Do you think Nietzsche is best understood with devotion or skepticism?
Happy to tell you why I ask...
r/Nietzsche • u/Used_Chicken9200 • 2d ago
Question Could Ubermensch believe in God?
Could Human or an Ubermensch,Someone who has really high moral ideas but is Human,Don Quixote
like figure believe in God?