When discussing Nietzsche, many break down his work into three major categories

  1. our thoughts on god and religion - true world theories
  2. our thoughts about human nature - the will to power
  3. our concept of everything in the universe being a struggle between good and evil

I learned that there is a common misconception that Nietzsche was a nihilist. That couldn’t be further from the truth, according to Stephen West who spoke on the subject in his podcast. Nietzsche thought that nihilism was a phase that people went through once they discovered the true nature of their reality and reject the ethos imposed upon them by society.

In Nietzsche’s work titled ‘Three metamorphoses’, he describes how humans go through three spiritual metamorphoses. He compares those three metamorphos phases to the camel, the lion, and the child.

Nietzsches claims that most humans are like camels. They carry heavy burdens for little gain for themselves. Overtime, those people are rundown from those burdens and ultimately degrade their quality of life. He also claims that people who exist in this phase are not aware that they are encumbered by burdens and when asked would report that they live happy and meaningful lives.

Stephen West, in his podcast, says an example of someone who lives as Nietzche’shypothetical camel is someone who gives up their goals and ambitions because of school and work. Nietzsche would claim that those people do it because they are scared. Society tells you that you must receive an education to get a good job otherwise you will lose out.

The second phase is that of the lion. It is when “God is Dead”. When a person no longer buy into the myths they are told regarding how they should live their life or what is best for them. It is in this phase that a person needs to obtain the spirit of the lion and persist.

The third phase is when a person rediscovers what it means to be a child. That is the phase when a person is in full control of their will and impose it freely and playfully.

To me, Nietzsche’s most powerful message is building our own value system, once we discover that “God is Dead”. He emplores the importants of moving on and creating your own universe within the confines of your reality.