There are no disciples of Nietzsche. There are those, however, who believe they are thinking for themselves when they are not. These pseudoists are the siblings of those who believe they know something true and fine but in fact do not. What is most deplorable about these creatures is that they objectify Nietzsche’s philosophy and endlessly toil over the meaning of eternal recurrence and the ubermensch yet ignore or neglect the creative subjectivity that everywhere expresses itself in Nietzsche’s writing. They believe if they could understand these ideas once and for all their spirit would somehow touch that of Nietzsche. What is this but the objectification of the spirit? The deadliest philosophical mistake possible. Rather, we should see Nietzsche as exploring, provoking, playing, feeling his way along with the touch and exuberance of an artist, profoundly destabilizing his own world and ours and in so doing finding a vitality that springs up with existence itself. If there were a Nietzschean philosophy, it would be summed up in three words: Think for yourself. A great improvement over Know thyself, which is but a sad sort of masochism. Think for yourself. Nothing else in life requires so much courage. Nothing else brings so much suffering and delight. Nothing else is more likely to end in self-deception and false complacency. Why do we read Nietzsche? Because he chides and provokes and demands that we do as our very own life demands: that we exist for ourselves. And for companionship along the way. For companionship, Jean-Paul. Though the solitude is complete.
Don't think for a moment I don't include myself among the pseudoists. And with this, I am going to put Nietzsche behind me until I shall discover him once again on the road ahead.
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