Will to power by Friedrich Nietzsche

The question of life has been stuck to many of us. What makes a thing living and other non living.

Metaphysics is study that deals with the question of nature of reality. Many philosophers since ages have been interested in this field. But one of the metaphysical system has attained the position of dominance i.e. Doctrine of materialism.

This doctrine states that reality is ultimately material i.e. universe is composed of matter. It is the interaction of basic material units which result in all phenomenon.

So, the basic units of matter are devoid of life, then how do these units come together to produce living beings, which experience the world around them.

As presocratic philosophers never laid attention to the question of life. They were convinced it was result of divine source. But in recent decades, the development of science lead to the theory of atomisim. Which lead to the role of atom as the basic element of nature. Even after so many years, it did not answer the question of life.

But in 17th century, a philosopher name Alfred Whitehead gave attention to the fallacy of misplace concretism. He states that, errorneous assumption that one concept gives a accurate description of reality has lead to a huge problem. He says "concepts are just a an idea of reality" (example taken a pen in which we only consider the shape and it's use of writing.I.e.its basic elements) and abstraction which are not considered like colour, weight etc are left away. 

Materialistism he says lacks the elements of characteristics of reality. Which is essential to explain life. It is because materialists have falsely assumed that the concepts of the basic elements of the universe actually depict the elements as they exist in reality that they have fallen to vicitims of fallacy of misplaced concreteness. Here, materialism theory fails to explain life.

Like Whitehead,  Friedrich Nietzsche challenged the doctrine of materialism. Nietzsche propounded a new doctrine of own experience. He developed a alternative known as will to power which is similar to Whiteheads theory.

He states "In order to formulate an adequate metaphysical explanation of the universe, it is necessary to start from that which is most accessible to us I.e. our own experience"

Nietzsche wanted to understand the ultimate constitution of reality by analyzing it's own impulses, desires and passions as he believed that we could learn something about reality by analyzing ourselves. Since we are the elements in the universe which share the same essence, as the things we perceive we can learn something about these things by looking and analyzing into ourselves.

It is important not to interpret this idea as saying that the elements have consciousness or even that they perceive the world around them rather such a view postulates that they have a experiential aspect. A Inner will must be ascribed to it i.e. will to power. An insatiable desire to manifest power.

Nietzsche thus put forth a alternative view of nature which unlike materialism did not create a seemingly unbridgeable void between the living and non living. Thus, Reality is composed of entirely of elements which have inner will.

Further, Nietzsche states that any theory like his should not be taken as complete and concrete, but must be continuously questioned. 

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What keeps me alive

The constant struggle for search of meaning is dreadful. It’s pleasing sometimes, but mostly it is painful. One immediately gets happy because he feels that he has found the meaning of life, but the false illusion shatters away and leaves the man in much more pain than before. The feeling of closure becomes a dream.

Even after looking in all directions, in things, in theories, in places, one returns home to the same question. The feeling of hopelessness becomes frequent. That one may never find the real meaning and has wasted it’s whole life. This makes him more mentally instable.

So should one stop searching and ignore the question. 

I believe, that would be lying to oneself on the face. An unexamined life is not worth living. Isn’t "investigating" in itself a meaning. To look for the truth, what a noble thing to do. A fulfilling thing. And are we here in this universe, to only find joy and happiness. Can pain not be as important part of life as pleasure. Every component has its counter opposition in existence. Like white and black, like prey and hunter, like water and fire etc. Maybe the opposite for the question of meaning of life is the most powerful opposition ever. One losses hope very soon, but maybe if we give it a good fight, we can find it. 

To look for the meaning of life, is not easy. As everything looks like an answer to it. But if one dedicates oneself, it can see clearly. One does not need a teacher who Shows him the path, as one can become a guide to himself. 

In the process of search of meaning, one should live with its own rules. For one being, the meaning might be different and for other, different. But don’t fall for a easy meaning anyhow. Look for it. 

Use your logic, rationality and mind wisely. Maybe we are very near to the meaning. 

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Loss of inspiration to achieve goals

A goal’s ability to inspire depends on two conditions: first, it depends on the agent’s estimation of the value of the goal; second, it also depends on the agent’s estimation of the realizability of this goal. 

The goal loses its ability to inspire if one or both of these conditions is not met. 

Nihilism, then, may have two sources: a devaluation of the goals in the realization of which our life has hitherto found its meaning, or the conviction that these goals are unrealizable.

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Quotes by Friedrich Nietzsche

Friedrich Nietzsche was a german philosopher born in 1844. He is one of the greatest philosopher of all times. His writings cover topics like power, nihilism, truth, values and overcoming oneself. 

Here's a list of some of my favorite quotes by him.

1) He who has a why to live can bear almost any how

2) In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations, and epochs, it is the rule.

3) To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering.

4) Life is that which must overcome itself again and again.

5) The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently.

6) A matter that becomes clear ceases to concern us.

7) That which does not kill us makes us stronger.

8) In heaven, all the interesting people are missing.

9) If you wish to strive for peace of soul and happiness, then believe; if you wish to be a disciple of truth, then inquire.

10) There will always be rocks in the road ahead of us. They will be stumbling blocks or stepping stones; it all depends on how you use them.

11) There are no beautiful surfaces without a terrible depth.

12) A thought, even a possibility, can shatter and transform us.

13) You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist.

14) No one can construct for you the bridge upon which precisely you must cross the stream of life, no one but you yourself alone.

15) He who climbs upon the highest mountains laughs at all tragedies, real or imaginary.

16) Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.

17) Sometimes people don't want to hear the truth because they don't want their illusions destroyed.

18) The snake which cannot cast its skin has to die. As well the minds which are prevented from changing their opinions; they cease to be mind.

19) Is man merely a mistake of God's? Or 

God merely a mistake of man?

20) Man is the cruelest animal.

21) A casual stroll through the lunatic asylum shows that faith does not prove anything.

22) Perhaps I know best why it is man alone who laughs; he alone suffers so deeply that he had to invent laughter.

23) The lonely one offers his hand too quickly to whomever he encounters.

24) Today as always, men fall into two groups: slaves and free men. Whoever does not have two-thirds of his day for himself, is a slave, whatever he may be: a statesman, a businessman, an official, or a scholar.

25) Hope in reality is the worst of all evils because it prolongs the torments of man

26) I know of no better life purpose than to perish in attempting the great and the impossible.

27) Blessed are the forgetful: for they get the better even of their blunders.

28) There are no facts, only interpretations.

29) The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself.

30)  And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music

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Nihilism and overcoming it

 

“To live is to suffer; to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering.”- Friedrich Nietzsche 

There comes a time in everybody s life, when one questions everything. Questions may come about life, death, happiness, values, etc. But the most serious question amongst all is whether life has any meaning. Various human beings have interpreted the question and answer to it according to there knowledge. But one philosophy in the 19th century has stormed into negative criticism. Popularly known as Nihilism

Nihilism in basic words can be said as "Life has no meaning". This theory questions all the values on which the world walks. It is the devaluing values. This theory is mostly associated with Friedrich Nietzsche who was a german philosopher from the 19th century. His texts are wrongly misunderstood because it is not easy to understand them. His theory is widely popular amongst teens nowadays. His theory in short means - Where nothing holds a man down, as there are no values to be feared of, the man becomes most powerfull.

Basically this theory is so good, that if one falls in it, it becomes very hard to come out of it. As people do not anymore believe in doing anything. For every question, there is one same reply, "as it does not matter, life is pointless". Many of the people are struct in this dillema but many come out of it. Those who come out, can be said as optimistic nihilist. They take this meaningless life and change it into creating there own meaning. To them, there is nothing dragging them down. They know as there is no meaning, everything and anything could be tried. This person is no more in chains. There is no god, values to stop him from doing anything out of the box. 

One may say he becomes selfish. Some may, but not all. As those who are nihilistic are more sympathetic to societal good. They believe in removing the misery of the world. They join political groups, environment causes etc. They see all materilistic dilusions head on and are not slaves to them. The greatest pleasure to them is to head on face all there own fears and question pleasures. They do not get angry when people tell them that they lack things. To opposite of it, they think on it, and if they feel that they really do, they change it. They are open to discussion. They do not argue madly, but patiently and in smooth way. Everything they see, they revalaute it. They value objects only to their real use. Luxury is no more pleasurious to them, as they know, one becomes a slave to them. A stimuli for a temporary period is not real. The dophanie makes one feel good, and wants more of it. One surrenders to this external thing which controls him. So every question is broke down and evaluated. 

One who studies nihilism, existentialism and absurdism, can give a little blend of everything these three theoriesband make its own philosophy. Own guidelines to live life. He can alter, edit, re-edit its own philosophy, which suits him. So it is true that one can become a Nihilist and change into a incredible person. The path is dificult as overcoming nihilism also seems like doing opposite to nihilsim. Making a false world it seems. But only if one decides to climb the mountain, can one experience the beauty . 

Values - Revaluation - Questioning - Overcoming 

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Meaning of life

One lives life fully, to its whole, until one day, one day when a thought arrives to him. "What is this all about ? Where are we heading . What's that use of living? Why are we born? In short " what is life about ? And what is its purpose ?"

It is easy to ignore such questions, I mean everyone does it. Otherwise none would have carried on life smiling and being happy. Such questions put a lot of weight on our mind. So we obviously ignore them or keep them for another day(that won't come)

To most of the people, these questions do not come. As they are indulged in the animal life or materialistic world. For them enjoyment or sensory pleasure is the ultimate goal. Their happiness is dependent on things/objects. (Do read Dialectic materialism - by Karl Marx). They are easily manipulated, bought etc. They follow a herd or a map given to them by the society. The map shows them at what age they have to do what things. If they do , life is fulfilled and if not, they suffer. This life is what I call animal life. Nothing more than that.

Others are those who overcome this lower level animal life. They want to understand the concept of life as it is. They dont live in a fantasy, like buying a car, house, career etc. They have a higher purpose to understand and introspect themselves. They are true philosophers.They dont look for happiness in externals, but find it internally. While gaining knowledge, if something structs to them, that they themselves posses wrong things, they do not ignore it or blame others.But they acknowledge it  and try to change. The search of life for them is never ending thing. They go through pessimisim, nihilism etc. Suffering is a joy to them. The search for truth in itself becomes the purpose of life.

The path to search of true meaning, is full of hardships, suffering, and pain. Even after putting its whole life in search of it, does not guarentee that the truth would be revealed. It is like putting your hands wilfully in fire, they would burn but you would experience the feeling. In this process he has to leave all what he likes and accept what it hates. Only a person who is ready to go offlimit can find it, one who battles the herd and overcomes itself. The process can be tiresome, burden full. One can go retard in the process, depression might hit him, challenges of mental instability could come. But, the path for the person who really wants to understand the life, becomes easy, as all things which he hated is accepted by him now. There is nothing to fear from. The journey must be kept fruitful, as the end might never come. 

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