I Can't See What You See

The impetus for this post would have at one point in my life done a couple of things that it no longer does, namely made me angry and/or depressed about the world that I see, when I look around. I don’t get mad or depressed, nor am I numb. I just realize that I can only work on myself, and hopefully, from that example, if I affect just one other person, just one, then maybe like a pebble in the water that can spread over the ocean of humanity.

I recently had a conversation about Nietzsche with a friend of mine, regarding a few misconceptions of his ideas, most prominently the idea of the Übermensch, sometimes translated as the Superman, though more literally, the Overman.

Nietzsche’s idea was that we could evolve within our own lifetimes, but not necessarily physically as was mistakenly interpreted by the Nazis and their eu-genetics programs (we have them too, it’s called honors housing at universities...), but mentally, spiritually, and emotionally. Nietzsche looked around the world and what he saw was Human, all too Human. He believed that humans were capable of great things, so why do we keep doing the things we do. I wonder the same question.

I myself have accepted my “human” limitations, but, when I did, I actually became stronger, which I now see was Nietzsche’s point (it is Nietzsche after all who originally said, "what doesn't kill us, makes us stronger). To realize that we are “human, all too human” is not a concession, but a celebration because we, as humans, can do great things. We are and can be amazing, but there is much work to be done. Do I believe that humans will ever evolve to be the spiritually and philosophically advanced race that Nietzsche spoke of?

In a word. No. And, ultimately neither did he.

But, to quote my friend, “The world is fucked up and only by focusing inwardly on whom we are, creating peace on the inside and radiating that love and peace can we make a difference in this world.”

The world is indeed fucked up. Don’t kid yourself. 

Women who are raped in Afghanistan are sent to prison or murdered as the guilty party.

The world is melting, fast. No matter how far you stick your head in the ground, an ostrich point of view will not change that if we don’t change our ways, even if it is partially precipitated by a nature cycle in the Earth, it is also partially triggered by us.

In Belgium yesterday, someone who had it in for “the whole world” killed himself and three others, wounding over 100 people with grenades at a public bus station in Liège.

A video of an enlisted US army soldier shows him beating a goat to death with an aluminum softball bat, while Afghanistan teenage boys and his unit cheer him on.

WTF people? Really.

I can't see what you see...

Make a change from within, it’s our only true hope.