Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
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.
https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/10/15/nietzscheondifficulty/ 1/5
1/14/2017 FriedrichNietzscheonWhyaFulfillingLifeRequiresEmbracingRatherthanRunningfromDifficultyBrainPickings
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.
https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/10/15/nietzscheondifficulty/ 2/5
1/14/2017 FriedrichNietzscheonWhyaFulfillingLifeRequiresEmbracingRatherthanRunningfromDifficultyBrainPickings
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
https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/10/15/nietzscheondifficulty/ 3/5
1/14/2017 FriedrichNietzscheonWhyaFulfillingLifeRequiresEmbracingRatherthanRunningfromDifficultyBrainPickings
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:
https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/10/15/nietzscheondifficulty/ 4/5
1/14/2017 FriedrichNietzscheonWhyaFulfillingLifeRequiresEmbracingRatherthanRunningfromDifficultyBrainPickings
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
https://www.brainpickings.org/2014/10/15/nietzscheondifficulty/ 5/5