[One Thousand Characters a Day] Reading Nietzsche at Forty<5> - Become a Noble Aristocrat

by Jo Inkyung

Published 13 Apr.2023 06:00(KST)

Editor's NoteFriedrich Nietzsche was a philosopher of the late 19th century when the religious values that had dominated the West for 2000 years collapsed. He emphasized the establishment of self-love, overcoming fate, and self-growth, leaving a message to humans filled with pain, despair, and nihilism to accept and love their own fate. While acknowledging reality and limitations himself, he sought to live passionately and proactively every moment, living life as a whole with the flow and ease.
'He is praised for "giving the joy of reading philosophy and insight to love life" through ＜Nietzsche to Read at Forty＞, which allows us to understand Nietzsche's philosophy once again and love our daily lives and life itself. It has great implications for those of us who have run forward only looking ahead, not knowing what kind of life we will live throughout our lives. Word count 923 characters.

[One Thousand Characters a Day] Reading Nietzsche at Forty<5> - Become a Noble Aristocrat

The noble type of man feels that he is the one who defines his own value, so he does not need recognition from others. He judges, "What harms me is harmful in itself," and recognizes himself as the first to assign value to things. He is the creator of values.

＜Beyond Good and Evil＞

Nietzsche says that what determines a noble man is a fundamental conviction or faith that the noble soul has in itself. The noble man recognizes himself first rather than seeking recognition from others. In other words, the noble man respects himself as he is now. Having reverence for oneself is the best way to raise self-esteem.

Portrait of Nietzsche painted by Munch (1906). Rather than the image of the '?bermensch' appearing in Nietzsche's works, it shows the figure of a tormented intellect.

While the noble man wants to have reverence for himself, he wants to cast off vanity. Vanity is the mindset of a person who is all show without substance and lives beyond their means. Vanity is self-deception. Even though he clearly knows he does not deserve the reputation of being a great man, he believes the good reputation he has created himself. The noble man finds it hard to understand a person full of vanity.

The noble man generally does not like to look "up." He knows that he is in a high place. However, the noble man also acknowledges that others have equal rights as himself. Nietzsche says this delicacy and self-restraint are another aspect of the noble man's selfishness.

What is important is that the selfishness Nietzsche speaks of here is not a narrow mind that only looks out for one's own interests but a "healthy selfishness." Healthy selfishness is a way of expressing love for oneself. A person with high self-esteem does not live according to others' standards by forming unnecessary relationships. The noble man can maintain healthy relationships because he confidently and firmly expresses his own thoughts.

- Jang Jae-hyung, ＜Nietzsche to Read at Forty＞, Yuno Books, 16,000 KRW