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Really? What a mishmash of meaningless platitudes. There's regularly more insightful stuff on the Dr. Phil show. This insistence on bald self-determination wil
by cynicalkane 16y ago
Really? What a mishmash of meaningless platitudes. There's regularly more insightful stuff on the Dr. Phil show.
This insistence on bald self-determination will fail utterly for all but the loneliest, most isolated instances of Nietzschean uebermenschen. The reality is that mankind is a social creature, that we draw on the meaning provided by others, that we look to the molds of others for inspiration, that our definitions of ourselves vary significantly from culture to culture and society or society. But wherever and whoever you are, you won't find the secret to eudaimonia in a philosophical ramble that reads like it was written by the memetic Courage Wolf.
I know many who have tried to "make themselves" and failed. It seems to be a common thing for kids in their early 20s, fresh out of college, to try to do. Many with depression will not be able to summon the will to "imbue" their own meaning. For many, the assertion that the "universe looks on with indifference" is strictly worse than irrelevant. And so on.
And even if you have some unusual strength of willpower such that you can take the OP's advice to heart, trying to re-make yourself all at once, with no idea how to go about it, will be about as productive as banging your head against a wall, and the end result will be nothing but a terrible headache and severe ego depletion.
Indeed, I once tried the Courage Wolf approach to happiness that is advocated above. I found much better results once I decided that I don't know what I want, but by pursuing those things that seem to fulfill me, I can head down the positive path one step at a time.
Many, particularly Greeks such as Aristotle, pondered what makes one happy, free, and virtuous, with much more insight than the OP. But you don't have to read Aristotle. Just use some common sense.
- kashif 16y agoMust this be the only opinion? Perhaps, there was something in my life that makes this quote resonate with me and some other folks...
- cynicalkane 16y agoI'm sure. In fact, I felt obligated to respond because of the unusually powerful rhetoric of that quote. As I hinted, I spent a while hampered by similar ways of thinking--whereas they are appealing, I now consider them very dangerous. But, hey, your mileage may vary.
- keefe 16y agoI'm afraid I'm with him. There's too much anger in this, I see that as a waste of energy. None of us is really free, I can't wake up tomorrow and decide to be an NBA player or the president. We have certain options for today, this week, this month, this year... Pick the best path forward, review it occasionally and pour all that energy into doing.
- jtheory 16y agoI think "know thyself" is far more valuable than "make thyself", because in real life, everyday terms we have far less control over what makes us happy than it seems, rationally. But -- we also have far more freedom than many people realize. "I can't" usually conceals a confused morass that needs to be dredged out with a vengeance. The decision might still be "I won't", but if you know why, and have some sense of how to maintain your emotional equilibrium, etc. you're still far, far ahead in the game. I think the quote resonates with you (and many people!) because it's so easy to be locked into near-immobility by a kind of inarticulated wash of bad feelings about how other people must be judging us, and in fact most of this anxiety is unfounded and misleading. It's incredibly valuable to take a kind of eyes-open "5 questions" approach to big decisions, to dig out the kind of thing like "so apparently I will do almost anything to avoid being criticized by men who resemble my father". And yeah, break free from the crowds (hint: this tends to actually earn you respect, not harsh judgment), work on improving yourself, etc.. But don't delude yourself into thinking that simply because there's no god, universal meaning, etc., you'll be able to just shake it off if you realize that your choices have earned you the contempt of those you love and respect.
- hugh3 16y agoWell said. Though even platitudes from Dr Phil's alternative-universe Nietzschean counterpart have their place. Now I'm tempted to write a self-help book called "The Courage Wolf Approach to Happiness"
- Confusion 16y agoThe reality is that [..] that we draw on the meaning provided by others The reality is that that is the prime cause of suffering. People are unhappy because they cannot possibly live up to all the different expectations different people have of them. For many, the assertion that the "universe looks on with indifference" is strictly worse than irrelevant. Which is sad, because that truth can result in the most complete sense of freedom one can possibly get. Contemplating how 'Nothing matters' sends shivers down my spine. trying to re-make yourself all at once There is no need to do it all at once. There is no need to invent everything from scratch. A true nihilist won't stay alive for long, so that's not the goal. We can choose not to be a slave of society, culture and morals. That doesn't mean we can't also choose to accept parts of them, and live in full acceptance of their positive and negative aspects. The point of remaking yourself is choosing how you wish to live your life, instead of mindlessly doing what others expect. The philosophy kashif describes can be considered to be Buddhist, Existentialist, Nihilist and probably many other things, in nature. Your interpretation and rejection of it as Nietzschean nihilism says more about how you view these things than about what kashif's quote means.