Episode #091 ... Nietzsche pt 2 - The Will To Power

Episode Overview

• The episode explores the fundamental psychological motivations behind human actions, questioning what drives us to do what we do.
• It contrasts several philosophical perspectives, including the Aristotelian pursuit of happiness and the Schopenhauerian will to survive.
• The central focus is on Friedrich Nietzsche's often-misunderstood concept of the "Will to Power."
• The discussion reframes pain and hardship not as things to be avoided, but as essential catalysts for personal growth and achieving one's full potential.

Key Concepts

• Primary Psychological Motivation: The episode begins by asking listeners to introspect on the core reason for their actions, presenting different philosophical answers to this question.
• Aristotelian View (Pursuit of Happiness): The common idea that all human actions are ultimately aimed at achieving personal happiness.
• Schopenhauerian View (Will to Life): The theory that the fundamental drive is survival, with psychological processes like guilt and jealousy serving as evolutionary mechanisms to ensure it.
• Nietzsche's Will to Power: This is not about militaristic or brute-force domination over others. Instead, it is the fundamental drive to overcome obstacles, achieve self-mastery, and fully express one's potential—to become who you truly are.
• Self-Overcoming: A key component of the Will to Power, this involves actively seeking and surmounting challenges (both internal and external) to grow stronger and improve one's life.
• Embracing Pain and Danger: Nietzsche argues against a life of pure comfort and detachment. He believes that embracing pain, hardship, and risk is the only way to experience the highest joys and achieve true fulfillment.

Quotes

• At 00:55 - "Why do you do what you do? What is the primary psychological motivation for whatever it is that you do?" - The speaker introduces the central introspective question that frames the entire episode's discussion.
• At 05:08 - "We do what we do as a pursuit towards a Will to Power. We're all looking for power." - The speaker introduces Nietzsche's core concept as the alternative to happiness or survival as the primary human motivation.
• At 22:28 - "For believe me, the secret for harvesting from existence the greatest fruitfulness and the greatest enjoyment is to live dangerously. Build your cities on the slopes of Vesuvius. Send your ships into uncharted seas." - The speaker quotes Nietzsche to illustrate his philosophy of embracing risk and challenge as the path to a fulfilling life.
• At 26:17 - "To those human beings who are of any concern to me, I wish suffering, desolation, sickness, ill treatment, indignities... I have no pity for them because I wish them the only thing that can prove today whether one is worth anything or not—that one endures." - The speaker shares a quote from Nietzsche to emphasize his belief that hardship is a necessary test of character and a prerequisite for growth.

Takeaways

• Re-evaluate your primary motivation beyond just seeking comfort or happiness. Consider whether your actions are truly contributing to your growth and self-expression, which Nietzsche would define as exercising your Will to Power.
• Reframe your relationship with pain and hardship. Instead of seeing them as purely negative experiences to be avoided, view them as essential opportunities to overcome, grow stronger, and experience a more profound sense of achievement and joy.
• Live more "dangerously" by taking calculated risks and stepping outside your comfort zone. The greatest rewards and personal growth often lie on the other side of the challenges you are currently avoiding out of fear or laziness.