1/14/2017 FriedrichNietzscheonWhyaFulfillingLifeRequiresEmbracingRatherthanRunningfromDifficultyBrainPickings

FriedrichNietzcheonWhaFulfillingLifeRequire
EmbracingRatherthanRunningfromDifficult
Acenturandahalfbeforeourmodernfetihimoffailure,aeminal
philoophicalcaeforitvalue.

Y M A R I A P O P OVA

Germanphiloopher,poet,compoer,andwriterFriedrich
Nietzche(Octoer15,1844Augut25,1900)iamong
humanitmotenduring,influential,andoft-citedmindand
heeemedremarkalconfidentthathewouldendupthatwa.
Nietzchefamoulcalledthepopulaceofphiloophercaage-
head,lamenting:Itimfatetohavetoethefirtdecenthuman
eing.IhaveaterrilefearthatIhallonedaepronouncedhol.In
oneletter,heconideredthepropectofpoteritenjoinghi
work:Iteemtomethattotakeaookofmineintohihandione
oftheraretditinctionthatanonecanconferuponhimelf.Ieven
aumethatheremovehihoewhenhedoeonottopeakof
oot.

Acenturandahalflater,Nietzchehealthegohaprovenlargelrightforaurpriingand
urpriinglmodernreaon:theauranceheofferthatlifegreatetrewardpringfromour
ruhwithadverit.Morethanacentureforeourpreentcelerationofthegiftoffailure
andourfetihimoffailureaaconduittofearlene,Nietzcheextolledtheevaluewith
equalpartpompandperpicuit.

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Inoneparticularlemlematicpecimenfromhimanaphorim,pennedin1887and
pulihedinthepothumouelectionfromhinoteook,TheWilltoPower(puliclirar),
NietzchewriteundertheheadingTpeofmdiciple:

TothoehumaneingwhoareofanconcerntomeIwihuffering,deolation,ickne,
ill-treatment,indignitieIwihthatthehouldnotremainunfamiliarwithprofound
elf-contempt,thetortureofelf-mitrut,thewretchedneofthevanquihed:Ihaveno
pitforthem,ecaueIwihthemtheonlthingthatcanprovetodawhetheroneiworth
anthingornotthatoneendure.

(Halfacenturlater,WillaCatherechoedthientimentpoignantlinatrouledlettertoher
rother:Thetetofonedecencihowmuchofafightonecanputupafteronehatoppedcaring.)

Withhiignaturelendofwitandwidom,Alaindeottonwhocontemplateuchuject
athepchologicalfunctionofartandwhatliteraturedoefortheoulwriteinthe
altogetherwonderfulTheConolationofPhilooph(puliclirar):

Aloneamongthecaage-head,Nietzchehadrealizedthatdifficultieofeverortwere
toewelcomedthoeeekingfulfillment.

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Notonlthat,utNietzchealoelievedthathardhipandjo
operatedinakindofomoticrelationhipdiminihingone
woulddiminihtheotheror,aAnaNinmemoralputit,
greatartwaornofgreatterror,greatloneline,greatinhiition,
intailitie,anditalwaalancethem.InTheGacience(pulic
lirar),hitreatieonpoetrwherehifamouGodidead
proclamationwacoined,hewrote:

Whatifpleaureanddipleaurewereotiedtogetherthat
whoeverwantedtohaveamuchapoileofonemutalo
haveamuchapoileoftheotherthatwhoever
wantedtolearntojuilateuptotheheavenwouldalo
havetoepreparedfordepreionuntodeath?

[]

Youhavethechoice:eitheralittledipleaureapoile,painleneinrieforamuch
dipleaureapoileathepriceforthegrowthofanaundanceofutlepleaureand
jothathaverareleenrelihedet?Ifoudecidefortheformeranddeiretodiminih
andlowerthelevelofhumanpain,oualohavetodiminihandlowertheleveloftheir
capacitforjo.

Hewaconvincedthatthemotnotalehumanlivereflectedthiomoi:

xaminetheliveoftheetandmotfruitfulpeopleandpeopleandakourelve
whetheratreethatiuppoedtogrowtoaproudheightcandipenewithadweather
andtorm;whethermifortuneandexternalreitance,omekindofhatred,jealou,
tuornne,mitrut,hardne,avarice,andviolencedonotelongamongthefavorale
conditionwithoutwhichangreatgrowthevenofvirtueicarcelpoile.

DeottonditillNietzcheconvictionandtheirenduringlegac:

Themotfulfillinghumanprojectappearedineparalefromadegreeoftorment,the
ourceofourgreatetjolingawkwardlcloetothoeofourgreatetpain

Wh?ecauenooneialetoproduceagreatworkofartwithoutexperience,norachieve
aworldlpoitionimmediatel,noreagreatloveratthefirtattempt;andintheinterval
etweeninitialfailureanduequentucce,inthegapetweenwhowewihonedato
eandwhoweareatpreent,mutcomepain,anxiet,envandhumiliation.Weuffer
ecauewecannotpontaneoulmatertheingredientoffulfillment.

Nietzchewatrivingtocorrecttheeliefthatfulfillmentmutcomeeailornotatall,a
eliefruinouiniteffect,foritleadutowithdrawprematurelfromchallengethat

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mighthaveeenovercomeifonlwehadeenpreparedfortheavagerlegitimatel
demandedalmoteverthingvaluale.

(Or,aF.cottFitzgeraldputitinhiatrocioul,delightfullungrammaticalproclamation,
Nothingangoodinthard.)

Nietzchearrivedatthiideatheroundaoutwa.Aaoungman,hewaheavilinfluenced
chopenhauer.Attheageoftwent-one,hechanceduponchopenhauermaterworkThe
WorldaWillandRepreentationandlaterrecountedthieminallifeturn:

Itookitinmhandaomethingtotallunfamiliarandturnedthepage.Idonotknow
whichdemonwawhiperingtome:Takethiookhome.Inancae,ithappened,which
wacontrartomcutomofotherwieneverruhingintouingaook.ackatthe
houeIthrewmelfintothecornerofaofawithmnewtreaure,andegantoletthat
dnamic,dimalgeniuworkonme.achlinecriedoutwithrenunciation,negation,
reignation.Iwalookingintoamirrorthatreflectedtheworld,lifeandmownmindwith
hideoumagnificence.

Andintthatwhatthegreatetookdoforu,whwereadandwriteatall?utNietzche
eventuallcametodiagreewithchopenhauerdefeatimandlowlloomedintohiown
ideaonthevalueofdifficult.Inan1876lettertoCoimaWagnertheecondwifeofthe
famedcompoerRichardWagner,whomNietzchehadefriendedheprofeed,morethana
decadeafterencounteringchopenhauer:

WouldoueamazedifIconfeomethingthathagraduallcomeaout,utwhichha
moreorleuddenlenteredmconcioune:adiagreementwithchopenhauer
teaching?OnvirtuallallgeneralpropoitionIamnotonhiide.

ThiturningpointihowNietzchearrivedattheconvictionthathardhipithepringoardfor
happineandfulfillment.Deottoncapturethieautifull:
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ecauefulfillmentianilluion,thewiemutdevotethemelvetoavoidingpainrather
thaneekingpleaure,livingquietl,achopenhauercouneled,inamallfireproof
roomadvicethatnowtruckNietzcheaothtimidanduntrue,apervereattemptto
dwell,ahewatoputitpejorativeleveralearlater,hiddeninforetlikehdeer.
Fulfillmentwatoereachednotavoidingpain,utrecognizingitroleaanatural,
inevitaleteponthewatoreachinganthinggood.

Andthi,perhap,ithereaonwhnihilimingeneral,andNietzcheinparticular,hahada
recentreurgenceinpopculturetheujectofafantaticrecentRadiolaepiode.Thewie
andwonderfulJadAumradelegantlcapturetheallureofuchteaching:

Allthipop-nihilimarounduinotaouttearingdownpowertructureoremracing
nothingneitjut,Lookatme!LookhowraveIam!

QuotingNietzche,inotherword,iawaforutoignalotherthatwereunafraid,that
difficultwontreaku,thatadveritwillonlaureu.

Andperhapthereinothingwrongwiththat.Afterall,ViktorFranklwatheoppoiteofa
nihilit,andetweflocktohimfortheamereaontoeaured,toeconoled,tofeellike
wecanendure.

TheWilltoPowerremainindipenaleandTheConolationofPhiloophiexcellentinit
totalit.ComplementthemwithalighterervingofNietzchehitenruleforwriter,penned
inaloveletter.

PulihedOctoer15,2014

http://www.rainpicking.org/2014/10/15/nietzche-on-difficult/

www.brainpicking.org

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