Friedrich Nietzsche was one of the most influential philosophers of the 19th century. He challenged many of the prevailing assumptions and values of his time, such as Christianity, morality, and rationality. He also explored the depths of human psychology, seeking to understand the sources of our desires, emotions, and actions.
One of his main themes was the idea of becoming who you are. He believed that everyone has a unique potential that they must realize in order to live authentically and meaningfully. He wrote in his autobiography Ecce Homo: “How One Becomes What One Is”.
But how do we become who we are? And what prevents us from doing so? According to Nietzsche, one of the major obstacles is shame. Shame is a painful emotion that arises when we feel that we are not living up to some ideal or expectation that we or others have imposed on us. Shame makes us feel unworthy, inferior, and defective. It makes us hide our true selves and conform to what others want us to be.
Nietzsche saw shame as a form of self-rejection and self-betrayal. He wrote in The Joyous Science: “Whom do you call bad? Those who always want to put others to shame. What is most humane? To spare someone shame. What is the seal of liberation? To no longer be ashamed of oneself.”
To overcome shame, Nietzsche argued that we need to free ourselves from the “shoulds” that society imposes on us. We need to question the validity and value of the ideals and norms that we have internalized. We need to recognize that they are not absolute or universal, but relative and contingent. We need to realize that they are often based on fear, prejudice, and ignorance.
Nietzsche urged us to follow our own values and instincts, rather than those of others. He encouraged us to cultivate our own style and taste, rather than those of the masses. He advised us to experiment with different ways of living and thinking, rather than sticking to the familiar and comfortable.
He also warned us not to shame others for being different or expressing themselves. He saw shaming as a form of violence and oppression. He saw it as a way of imposing our own will and judgment on others, rather than respecting their individuality and autonomy.
He wrote in Thus Spoke Zarathustra: “Of all that is written, I love only what a person has written with his blood. Write with blood, and you will find that blood is spirit.”
To write with blood means to write with honesty, passion, and courage. It means to write from your own experience, perspective, and insight. It means to write what you truly think and feel, rather than what others expect or approve.
To become who you are, Nietzsche suggested that we need to write with blood in our lives as well as in our words. We need to live with honesty, passion, and courage. We need to live from our own experience, perspective, and insight. We need to live what we truly think and feel, rather than what others expect or approve.
By doing so, we can overcome shame and embrace ourselves as we are. We can liberate ourselves from the chains of conformity and mediocrity. We can express ourselves fully and creatively. We can realize our unique potential and purpose.
We can become who we are.
