1 00:00:00,610 --> 00:00:06,890 Friedrich Nietzsche was a German philosopher who lived in the second half of the 19th century. 2 00:00:06,890 --> 00:00:11,740 He was physically sick most of his life and spent his last years almost unconscious due 3 00:00:11,740 --> 00:00:13,379 to a mental breakdown. 4 00:00:13,379 --> 00:00:18,380 In spite of this, he gave great insights into the world of human psychology, including what 5 00:00:18,380 --> 00:00:20,480 it means to live a ‘good life’. 6 00:00:20,480 --> 00:00:26,940 For him, a good life does not mean comfort and pleasure, it means mainly a life in which 7 00:00:26,940 --> 00:00:32,500 you live authentically and freely, following your own values and aspirations. 8 00:00:32,500 --> 00:00:38,430 His most famous books are “Thus Spoke Zarathustra”, “Beyond Good and Evil”, “The Birth of 9 00:00:38,430 --> 00:00:42,440 Tragedy”, and “The Twilight of the Idols”. 10 00:00:42,440 --> 00:00:48,370 Nietzsche is considered a precursor of existentialism, a philosophical school of thought which highlights 11 00:00:48,370 --> 00:00:53,100 the importance of freedom and finding meaning in a meaningless world. 12 00:00:53,100 --> 00:00:59,090 According to existentialism, life has no meaning by itself, it has only the meaning we give 13 00:00:59,090 --> 00:01:00,239 to it. 14 00:01:00,239 --> 00:01:05,810 Also, it is in our power to make the best out of this life and perhaps there is no other 15 00:01:05,810 --> 00:01:10,659 more famous philosopher than Nietzsche who emphasized on the importance of putting our 16 00:01:10,659 --> 00:01:15,700 will in the actions we take in life and how to make the best out of it. 17 00:01:15,700 --> 00:01:20,600 To help you understand how to live a good life, here are 9 lessons we can learn from 18 00:01:20,600 --> 00:01:25,830 the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche: 19 00:01:25,830 --> 00:01:30,479 Focus on real life Nietzsche said: “There is not enough love 20 00:01:30,479 --> 00:01:36,590 and goodness in the world to permit giving any of it away to imaginary beings.” 21 00:01:36,590 --> 00:01:40,950 Nietzsche was one of the strongest advocates against Christianity and against believing 22 00:01:40,950 --> 00:01:46,300 in metaphysical realities, in something that cannot be perceived with our senses and in 23 00:01:46,300 --> 00:01:49,900 something that doesn't have a physical presence. 24 00:01:49,900 --> 00:01:55,800 He was the one who famously declared “God is dead”, pointing out that from now on, 25 00:01:55,800 --> 00:01:59,799 it is our responsibility to give life a meaning. 26 00:01:59,799 --> 00:02:04,610 In “The Twilight of the Idols”, Nietzsche described how previous philosophers who considered 27 00:02:04,610 --> 00:02:10,280 the physical reality an illusion or the shadow of another reality were wrong. 28 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:15,450 He pointed out that any other reality besides what we can perceive through our senses cannot 29 00:02:15,450 --> 00:02:16,640 be proven. 30 00:02:16,640 --> 00:02:22,340 Moreover, to fabricate another world is considered by Nietzsche to be an act of defamation of 31 00:02:22,340 --> 00:02:27,760 this life, a sign we don’t appreciate our reality and that we don’t have enough willpower 32 00:02:27,760 --> 00:02:30,860 to make it as good as we want it to be. 33 00:02:30,860 --> 00:02:35,810 To really have a positive impact in this world, to make this world a little better, we need 34 00:02:35,810 --> 00:02:42,090 to focus on solving real-life problems and not to take refuge in imaginary worlds. 35 00:02:42,090 --> 00:02:45,760 And this is not possible without facing reality. 36 00:02:45,760 --> 00:02:50,840 For example, imagine you have a serious problem in your life, a significant amount of debt 37 00:02:50,840 --> 00:02:53,950 and you cannot find any way to pay it. 38 00:02:53,950 --> 00:02:58,269 Instead of taking your refuge in alcohol, trying to forget about your problems, or praying 39 00:02:58,269 --> 00:03:03,540 that some angels will come to save you, you should find the courage to face reality and 40 00:03:03,540 --> 00:03:06,870 focus on how to solve your problems. 41 00:03:06,870 --> 00:03:12,960 Life is difficult enough; by escaping reality, you will just amplify your problems and suffering, 42 00:03:12,960 --> 00:03:15,450 and those of the ones you care about. 43 00:03:15,450 --> 00:03:20,800 We need to focus on real life as it is the only way you will be able to solve your life’s 44 00:03:20,800 --> 00:03:25,320 problems and build a good life. 45 00:03:25,320 --> 00:03:32,260 Live a meaningful life Nietzsche tells us: “To live is to suffer, 46 00:03:32,260 --> 00:03:35,500 to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering.” 47 00:03:35,500 --> 00:03:40,280 For Nietzsche, life was particularly hard. 48 00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:45,440 As a young man, he got seriously ill shortly after he joined the Franco-Prussian war; then 49 00:03:45,440 --> 00:03:50,050 later, he lost his job at university due to his disappointment with the institutionalized 50 00:03:50,050 --> 00:03:56,650 education and also due to serious pain caused by his blindness, migraine, stomach pain, 51 00:03:56,650 --> 00:04:02,700 and so on; then, he was rejected by the woman he loved, the Russian writer Lou Andreas-Salomé 52 00:04:02,700 --> 00:04:09,390 who then went to Berlin with one of Nietzsche’s best friends, Paul Ree; then, finally, at 53 00:04:09,390 --> 00:04:16,359 44 years old, he suffered a mental collapse, spending his last years of life almost unconscious. 54 00:04:16,359 --> 00:04:21,799 In spite of his tragic life, he lived a life of meaning, being remembered as one of the 55 00:04:21,799 --> 00:04:26,349 most famous philosophers who praised life for what it is. 56 00:04:26,349 --> 00:04:32,050 He was a big advocate of the Greek concept “Amor Fati”, a Latin phrase that may be 57 00:04:32,050 --> 00:04:36,979 translated as "love of fate" or "love of one's fate". 58 00:04:36,979 --> 00:04:42,240 If Nietzsche, who as we just mentioned, led a particularly difficult life, could do that, 59 00:04:42,240 --> 00:04:45,620 it is in the power of almost anyone to do it. 60 00:04:45,620 --> 00:04:50,389 No matter your situation, if you are able to find meaning in your suffering, you will 61 00:04:50,389 --> 00:04:54,580 be able to live a good life, a life of purpose. 62 00:04:54,580 --> 00:05:00,310 For example, imagine one of the worst situations you can be in, like losing your child due 63 00:05:00,310 --> 00:05:02,669 to a disease like cancer. 64 00:05:02,669 --> 00:05:07,639 You might think your life is already over, but if you are able to find a meaning, a purpose 65 00:05:07,639 --> 00:05:12,389 for your suffering, then you will in time feel more able to get up in the morning and 66 00:05:12,389 --> 00:05:14,360 face the day ahead. 67 00:05:14,360 --> 00:05:19,289 You might contribute to the fight against cancer, through money or by volunteering campaigns 68 00:05:19,289 --> 00:05:21,439 to help those in need. 69 00:05:21,439 --> 00:05:26,360 Even though your personal suffering will always be a part of you, your outlook on life would 70 00:05:26,360 --> 00:05:33,729 improve knowing you’ve helped to prevent other people from suffering as you have. 71 00:05:33,729 --> 00:05:38,900 Follow your own life goals According to Nietzsche: “To forget one's 72 00:05:38,900 --> 00:05:42,050 purpose is the commonest form of stupidity.” 73 00:05:42,050 --> 00:05:48,249 For Nietzsche, no price is too high for the privilege of owning yourself. 74 00:05:48,249 --> 00:05:52,389 One of the main priorities you should have in life is to be careful not to be absorbed 75 00:05:52,389 --> 00:05:57,580 by your tribe, that is to not follow what everybody else is doing. 76 00:05:57,580 --> 00:06:03,389 Try to find your own path in life, formulate your own values and judge every situation 77 00:06:03,389 --> 00:06:07,990 through the filters of your own life experience and knowledge. 78 00:06:07,990 --> 00:06:12,610 Nietzsche was famous for his concept of the Ubermensch, or Superhuman. 79 00:06:12,610 --> 00:06:19,169 For Nietzsche, the Superhuman is the goal of humanity itself, he represents the creation 80 00:06:19,169 --> 00:06:22,659 of new values of humanity after the death of God. 81 00:06:22,659 --> 00:06:28,580 The general qualities that such Superhumans have is that they live independently of any 82 00:06:28,580 --> 00:06:35,449 tribe, they are self-sufficient and strong, creating and following their own code of values. 83 00:06:35,449 --> 00:06:39,039 For Nietzsche, human beings are a bridge towards the Superhuman. 84 00:06:39,039 --> 00:06:43,860 Thus, the Superhuman is an ideal we should always strive for. 85 00:06:43,860 --> 00:06:49,069 In order to become closer to this ideal, we can all work on becoming a bit more independent, 86 00:06:49,069 --> 00:06:51,189 a bit more goal-driven in life. 87 00:06:51,189 --> 00:06:56,529 For example, we should not let our parents dictate the career we want to take in life; 88 00:06:56,529 --> 00:07:01,020 or get stuck in a job which might not be related with our goals at all, forgetting our main 89 00:07:01,020 --> 00:07:05,080 dreams in exchange for stability and an easy life. 90 00:07:05,080 --> 00:07:11,400 The main idea is to not get overwhelmed by others and try to find your calling in life, 91 00:07:11,400 --> 00:07:15,800 formulate your life goals and follow them always. 92 00:07:15,800 --> 00:07:21,229 It is common to want to fit in and want other people to like you, but if those people cannot 93 00:07:21,229 --> 00:07:26,169 like you for who you really are, you will live a life full of lies as you will need 94 00:07:26,169 --> 00:07:30,029 to perpetually pretend that you are someone you are not. 95 00:07:30,029 --> 00:07:35,270 It is much better to live an authentic life, a life in which you can be yourself and live 96 00:07:35,270 --> 00:07:37,639 the life you want to live. 97 00:07:37,639 --> 00:07:42,289 Say if you want to be a musician, don’t enroll in medical school just because being 98 00:07:42,289 --> 00:07:46,949 a doctor is more praised in your parent’s eyes; if you wish to have a lot of free time 99 00:07:46,949 --> 00:07:52,010 and to travel the world, don’t take a 9 to 5 job, but rather pick a career you can 100 00:07:52,010 --> 00:07:58,279 do as a freelancer, for example creating philosophy videos on YouTube, which gives you freedom, 101 00:07:58,279 --> 00:08:00,569 time and enough money to travel. 102 00:08:00,569 --> 00:08:06,129 To live a good life you need to live the life you want to live, a life in line with your 103 00:08:06,129 --> 00:08:11,749 personality and with your dreams. 104 00:08:11,749 --> 00:08:16,870 Keep your mind open In the words of Nietzsche: “Convictions 105 00:08:16,870 --> 00:08:21,069 are more dangerous foes of truth than lies.” 106 00:08:21,069 --> 00:08:26,059 At some point in time, nearly everyone was convinced that the Earth was the center of 107 00:08:26,059 --> 00:08:30,259 the Universe, or that man would never be able to fly. 108 00:08:30,259 --> 00:08:34,500 Some scientists even gave their life in the fight to prove that Earth is not the center 109 00:08:34,500 --> 00:08:37,800 of the Universe - like Giordano Bruno. 110 00:08:37,800 --> 00:08:41,969 And who knows what convictions the majority of people have today that will be proven false 111 00:08:41,969 --> 00:08:43,389 in the future. 112 00:08:43,389 --> 00:08:48,590 What is true today might not be true tomorrow, even in the scientific world. 113 00:08:48,590 --> 00:08:53,740 Nietzsche was very much against religious dogmas and against systems of beliefs in general. 114 00:08:53,740 --> 00:08:58,040 But equally, he was not very pro-science, either. 115 00:08:58,040 --> 00:09:03,449 Nietzsche said that there are no facts, there are only their interpretations, meaning that 116 00:09:03,449 --> 00:09:08,670 we should not take pride in knowing anything with certainty; therefore, we should not forget 117 00:09:08,670 --> 00:09:14,510 that what we see and think is just our limited interpretation of life and that it is at best 118 00:09:14,510 --> 00:09:16,230 incomplete. 119 00:09:16,230 --> 00:09:21,389 To be open minded is an essential quality we should have if we want to seek the truth 120 00:09:21,389 --> 00:09:22,860 about anything. 121 00:09:22,860 --> 00:09:27,440 If you have strong convictions, this will prevent you from seeking the truth about the 122 00:09:27,440 --> 00:09:32,399 world, about other people, to learn more, and to develop yourself. 123 00:09:32,399 --> 00:09:36,889 Although this can make you feel more sure of yourself in some situations, in the long 124 00:09:36,889 --> 00:09:40,569 run it will affect your life significantly. 125 00:09:40,569 --> 00:09:44,720 Imagine that you are a middle aged person running a business and you have the conviction 126 00:09:44,720 --> 00:09:49,960 that your type of business is too serious or industry-focused for being present on social 127 00:09:49,960 --> 00:09:54,770 media, that social media is too informal and frivolous for your business. 128 00:09:54,770 --> 00:09:59,839 Besides, you are not a fan of social media and it is convenient for you to have such 129 00:09:59,839 --> 00:10:00,959 a belief. 130 00:10:00,959 --> 00:10:05,470 It can be easily proven that you are wrong and that you will lose in front of a competitor 131 00:10:05,470 --> 00:10:09,839 whose presence is significant on many media channels. 132 00:10:09,839 --> 00:10:14,689 Being open minded is not beneficial only for your personal and social life, but on many 133 00:10:14,689 --> 00:10:18,240 levels, including your career and finances. 134 00:10:18,240 --> 00:10:23,399 To live a good life, you need to develop yourself, your knowledge and skills and this cannot 135 00:10:23,399 --> 00:10:28,480 be achieved without having an open mind. 136 00:10:28,480 --> 00:10:33,290 Take care of your body Nietzsche teaches us that: “There is more 137 00:10:33,290 --> 00:10:37,879 wisdom in your body than in your deepest philosophy.” 138 00:10:37,879 --> 00:10:43,149 Nietzsche considered that philosophers don’t pay enough attention to the human body, that 139 00:10:43,149 --> 00:10:48,850 their philosophical theories are disconnected from reality and that what is real is what 140 00:10:48,850 --> 00:10:51,740 we directly experience through our body. 141 00:10:51,740 --> 00:10:58,700 For Nietzsche, everything changes, everything transforms without following a given logic. 142 00:10:58,700 --> 00:11:04,189 Nietzsche considered that there is no true unity and order in this universe, praising 143 00:11:04,189 --> 00:11:11,339 Heraclitus highly, who said that everything changes and that eternity is a child at play. 144 00:11:11,339 --> 00:11:16,889 Nietzsche considered that the only thing we have is our direct experience with this world, 145 00:11:16,889 --> 00:11:18,019 through our body. 146 00:11:18,019 --> 00:11:23,560 Your body always sends you messages regarding what it needs, what it fears or when something 147 00:11:23,560 --> 00:11:24,700 is wrong. 148 00:11:24,700 --> 00:11:28,689 When your body is hungry, you feel the urge to eat and you need to provide your body the 149 00:11:28,689 --> 00:11:34,670 food and drink it needs; the same with resting and sleeping, etc.: you need to follow the 150 00:11:34,670 --> 00:11:39,889 optimal cycle to keep your body healthy, you need to rest and sleep when your body demands 151 00:11:39,889 --> 00:11:41,779 it, as much as you find possible. 152 00:11:41,779 --> 00:11:46,860 Don’t follow the popular prescription to sleep 8 hours per night or eat 3 meals per 153 00:11:46,860 --> 00:11:47,950 day. 154 00:11:47,950 --> 00:11:52,620 We are all different, your body might need more or less sleep than someone else’s, 155 00:11:52,620 --> 00:11:56,759 your body might need to eat less because you live a sedentary life or might need to eat 156 00:11:56,759 --> 00:12:02,200 more because you have a very active life, and this will change over the course of your 157 00:12:02,200 --> 00:12:03,200 life. 158 00:12:03,200 --> 00:12:09,370 Then there’s the case of regular overeating, to the point where we damage our health. 159 00:12:09,370 --> 00:12:14,259 In this case, Nietzsche would say that the solution is not to follow a diet, a prescribed 160 00:12:14,259 --> 00:12:19,100 regimen given by a nutritionist, he would say that getting unhealthy is not because 161 00:12:19,100 --> 00:12:24,110 we eat too much, the cause is our lack of will to live. 162 00:12:24,110 --> 00:12:28,699 The solution could be for people to increase their will to live, which will improve their 163 00:12:28,699 --> 00:12:34,230 vitality, get rid of depression, and learn to love their body and themselves more. 164 00:12:34,230 --> 00:12:38,920 In Nietzche’s view, once you understand this will, you will automatically start making 165 00:12:38,920 --> 00:12:43,709 right decisions for your body, and thus stick to healthy eating habits. 166 00:12:43,709 --> 00:12:49,889 He felt that the body is not only the instrument that carries us through the world, it is us 167 00:12:49,889 --> 00:12:54,430 and we should take maximum care of it if we want to live a good life. 168 00:12:54,430 --> 00:13:02,460 Embrace your “evil” qualities To quote Nietzsche: “The great epochs of 169 00:13:02,460 --> 00:13:08,050 our life are the occasions when we gain the courage to rebaptize our evil qualities as 170 00:13:08,050 --> 00:13:10,939 our best qualities.” 171 00:13:10,939 --> 00:13:16,089 Nietzsche was against moral systems whose aim is to decide what is good and bad, what 172 00:13:16,089 --> 00:13:18,160 is a proper behavior or not. 173 00:13:18,160 --> 00:13:23,700 And he was especially against Christian morality, which he called the revolt of slaves in the 174 00:13:23,700 --> 00:13:25,270 domain of morality. 175 00:13:25,270 --> 00:13:30,749 He considered that such religious morality is man-made and it was made by the low classes 176 00:13:30,749 --> 00:13:35,829 of society who did not know how to better defeat their rulers. 177 00:13:35,829 --> 00:13:40,589 Such morality preaches humility, turning the other cheek when someone hurts you, while 178 00:13:40,589 --> 00:13:46,100 a more healthy way of living is to encourage self love and defend yourself against your 179 00:13:46,100 --> 00:13:47,860 oppressors. 180 00:13:47,860 --> 00:13:52,480 In Nietzsche’s view, we should not follow any system which tries to make us the same, 181 00:13:52,480 --> 00:13:56,420 which tries to shape our personality, tells us who we should be. 182 00:13:56,420 --> 00:14:02,730 We cannot have a good life if we don’t allow ourselves to be ourselves, to behave as we 183 00:14:02,730 --> 00:14:04,870 want to behave. 184 00:14:04,870 --> 00:14:10,029 When we examine our lives, we can understand that the happiest times of our lives were 185 00:14:10,029 --> 00:14:17,029 when we were the most ourselves, when we could express what was inside us without self-criticism. 186 00:14:17,029 --> 00:14:22,149 Due to the education we received in our lives, due to the way society trained us regarding 187 00:14:22,149 --> 00:14:27,910 how we should behave, what we should think, we all have a dark side, a part of ourselves 188 00:14:27,910 --> 00:14:32,079 which would not be accepted by such society. 189 00:14:32,079 --> 00:14:37,829 Although difficult and perhaps counter-intuitively, we need to find ways to bring this dark side 190 00:14:37,829 --> 00:14:41,829 to the surface if we want to be truly happy and live a good life. 191 00:14:41,829 --> 00:14:46,579 For example, imagine that you enjoy physical fighting and you were greatly punished as 192 00:14:46,579 --> 00:14:49,709 a child when you got into a fight with another kid. 193 00:14:49,709 --> 00:14:54,309 To bring this evil quality to the surface as an adult doesn't mean to start assaulting 194 00:14:54,309 --> 00:15:00,459 people, but to apply and focus that desire; enroll in sports like boxing, martial arts 195 00:15:00,459 --> 00:15:05,529 and so on where you can fight, but without the legal ramifications. 196 00:15:05,529 --> 00:15:10,670 When we learn to make the best out of our evil qualities, our life becomes happier and 197 00:15:10,670 --> 00:15:15,440 we feel more fulfilled. 198 00:15:15,440 --> 00:15:20,759 Consume art As Nietzsche said so succinctly: “Without 199 00:15:20,759 --> 00:15:24,459 music, life would be a mistake.” 200 00:15:24,459 --> 00:15:30,779 Nietzsche was not only a philosopher, but he was also an artist, a musician and a poet. 201 00:15:30,779 --> 00:15:32,920 Music played a special place in his life. 202 00:15:32,920 --> 00:15:36,800 He enjoyed playing piano and composing music. 203 00:15:36,800 --> 00:15:42,259 One of his friends was none other than the famous composer Richard Wagner. 204 00:15:42,259 --> 00:15:45,440 Music is a key to open the doors to all human emotions. 205 00:15:45,440 --> 00:15:50,220 For Nietzsche, music is a reflection of a certain set of emotions. 206 00:15:50,220 --> 00:15:55,059 One of the saddest moments in Nietzsche’s life was when he split from Wagner: it was 207 00:15:55,059 --> 00:16:00,690 after the festival at Bayreuth when Nietzsche saw a decadence in Wagner’s music, it seemed 208 00:16:00,690 --> 00:16:06,430 like Wagner was just playing for the common people, for the masses and gave up on composing 209 00:16:06,430 --> 00:16:08,559 great music. 210 00:16:08,559 --> 00:16:13,029 Because we all have different sets of emotions, we respond differently to different types 211 00:16:13,029 --> 00:16:16,589 of music, and indeed with any artform. 212 00:16:16,589 --> 00:16:21,529 Through art, we get in touch with our deepest emotions; it helps us understand ourselves 213 00:16:21,529 --> 00:16:24,999 better and it frees us from our inhibitions. 214 00:16:24,999 --> 00:16:30,399 Thus, art is an expression of our freedom and we should exercise our freedom as much 215 00:16:30,399 --> 00:16:33,750 as possible if we want to live a good life. 216 00:16:33,750 --> 00:16:39,090 No matter your profession - even if it has nothing to do with music or art - you can 217 00:16:39,090 --> 00:16:41,889 still make room for it in your life. 218 00:16:41,889 --> 00:16:46,329 For example, you can listen to music while you go to work, fill your home with art that 219 00:16:46,329 --> 00:16:48,240 inspires and moves you. 220 00:16:48,240 --> 00:16:53,399 You can visit art galleries, go to gigs or join a local art, music or theater group, 221 00:16:53,399 --> 00:16:56,420 or learn an instrument in your spare time. 222 00:16:56,420 --> 00:17:01,640 Consuming any form of art can make your life more joyful and, if you are able to create 223 00:17:01,640 --> 00:17:06,910 art, it can help you express yourself freely, and thus you would understand your emotions 224 00:17:06,910 --> 00:17:09,559 and feelings better. 225 00:17:09,559 --> 00:17:15,559 Cultivate friendship especially in romantic relationships 226 00:17:15,559 --> 00:17:21,050 Nietzsche wrote: “It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy 227 00:17:21,050 --> 00:17:22,050 marriages.” 228 00:17:22,050 --> 00:17:26,770 For Nietzsche, friendship is the highest form of love. 229 00:17:26,770 --> 00:17:31,510 True friends inspire each other, make each other better, pushing towards achieving the 230 00:17:31,510 --> 00:17:33,850 ideal of the Superhuman. 231 00:17:33,850 --> 00:17:35,750 And Nietzsche had great friends. 232 00:17:35,750 --> 00:17:41,970 Of course Composer Richard Wagner as we mentioned earlier, Paul Deussen, a historian of philosophy, 233 00:17:41,970 --> 00:17:47,440 Erwin Rohde, a great philologist, and Franz Overbeck, who lived in the same house with 234 00:17:47,440 --> 00:17:52,610 Nietzsche for 5 years, becoming one of his closest friends. 235 00:17:52,610 --> 00:17:57,280 Later they would exchange many letters, helping Nietzsche immediately after his mental breakdown 236 00:17:57,280 --> 00:17:59,380 in 1889. 237 00:17:59,380 --> 00:18:04,059 Another great friend was Paul Rée, but their friendship took a bad turn when he moved to 238 00:18:04,059 --> 00:18:10,030 Berlin with Lou von Salomé, Nietzsche’s crush at the time, leaving Nietzsche behind. 239 00:18:10,030 --> 00:18:14,919 Lou von Salomé was a great psychoanalyst who later worked with Sigmund Freud as well 240 00:18:14,919 --> 00:18:18,470 as writing a great book on Nietzsche. 241 00:18:18,470 --> 00:18:24,100 For a while, Nietzsche, Rée and Salomé formed a strange trio of friendship, spending a lot 242 00:18:24,100 --> 00:18:25,550 of time together. 243 00:18:25,550 --> 00:18:30,540 For Nietzsche, friendship should be present in every relationship, especially the one 244 00:18:30,540 --> 00:18:31,980 that you share with your partner. 245 00:18:31,980 --> 00:18:36,320 In fact, it is the foundation of a happy marriage. 246 00:18:36,320 --> 00:18:40,450 Physical attraction does not last long, what is important in the long run is the way we 247 00:18:40,450 --> 00:18:45,140 communicate, the quality of our conversations with our partner. 248 00:18:45,140 --> 00:18:50,940 Although unlucky in love, Nietzsche gave some insights into what a happy marriage is, emphasizing 249 00:18:50,940 --> 00:18:53,090 on the importance of friendship. 250 00:18:53,090 --> 00:18:58,570 He strongly advised to not marry for love, but to marry someone you like talking to, 251 00:18:58,570 --> 00:19:03,140 marry your best friend, as Nietzsche tried to do with Salomé, who was one of the most 252 00:19:03,140 --> 00:19:08,600 brilliant women of that time, someone Nietzsche enjoyed talking to very much. 253 00:19:08,600 --> 00:19:12,750 We can all learn from Nietzsche to put a higher price on the quality of our conversations 254 00:19:12,750 --> 00:19:17,299 with the people we find attractive than on the physical attraction we feel towards those 255 00:19:17,299 --> 00:19:18,679 people. 256 00:19:18,679 --> 00:19:24,450 In order to live a good life, we need to have a happy relationship with our loved ones. 257 00:19:24,450 --> 00:19:29,350 In the long term, what matters is not the passion, which fades in time, but the way 258 00:19:29,350 --> 00:19:31,669 we connect with each other. 259 00:19:31,669 --> 00:19:36,880 Having a strong friendship with our partner is vital to a long term relationship and to 260 00:19:36,880 --> 00:19:41,210 a happy life in general. 261 00:19:41,210 --> 00:19:46,130 Be patient with your self-growth In our final quote from Nietzsche for this 262 00:19:46,130 --> 00:19:52,820 video, he said: “He who would learn to fly one day must first learn to stand and walk 263 00:19:52,820 --> 00:19:58,240 and run and climb and dance; one cannot fly into flying.” 264 00:19:58,240 --> 00:20:03,830 When it comes to self development or self growth, Nietzsche’s thinking can be easily 265 00:20:03,830 --> 00:20:10,120 applicable in daily life, helping us better ourselves and live better lives overall. 266 00:20:10,120 --> 00:20:15,100 It can be said that the concept of the Superhuman relates to the concept of self-growth, as 267 00:20:15,100 --> 00:20:20,559 the Superhuman is an ideal of a human we should strive towards; an aspiration that we might 268 00:20:20,559 --> 00:20:25,840 not reach, but if we develop ourselves every day, making a little bit of progress each 269 00:20:25,840 --> 00:20:29,899 time, it gives us a sense of purpose. 270 00:20:29,899 --> 00:20:34,649 Nothing happens overnight and we need to be patient in our quest for self-growth. 271 00:20:34,649 --> 00:20:40,250 In Nietzsche’s view, it is important to learn to become a master over ourselves. 272 00:20:40,250 --> 00:20:45,179 No one can push us to read more to develop our intellectual skills, no one forces us 273 00:20:45,179 --> 00:20:50,440 to go to the gym to strengthen our bodies, it is only oneself that is in charge of these 274 00:20:50,440 --> 00:20:53,059 tiny changes that should happen every day. 275 00:20:53,059 --> 00:20:59,899 In Nietzsche’s words, "No one can build you the bridge on which you, and only you, 276 00:20:59,899 --> 00:21:02,730 must cross the river of life." 277 00:21:02,730 --> 00:21:07,170 If we master our habits, there is a high chance we will succeed in reaching our goals in the 278 00:21:07,170 --> 00:21:08,549 long run. 279 00:21:08,549 --> 00:21:13,110 If your life situation is far from being perfect, you should not despair that you are not where 280 00:21:13,110 --> 00:21:14,809 you want to be. 281 00:21:14,809 --> 00:21:20,990 Learn to be patient, practice good habits every day, no matter how small, the most important 282 00:21:20,990 --> 00:21:24,120 thing is for you to be better than yesterday. 283 00:21:24,120 --> 00:21:29,880 For example, if for you a good life is to have a great career and a happy family, develop 284 00:21:29,880 --> 00:21:35,980 your skills every day, enroll in an online course, read books from your field and, at 285 00:21:35,980 --> 00:21:41,630 the same time, make time for your family, for spending time with your partner and children. 286 00:21:41,630 --> 00:21:49,140 A good life does not come overnight, you need to work for it every day. 287 00:21:49,140 --> 00:21:53,220 If you enjoyed this video, please make sure to check out our full philosophies for life 288 00:21:53,220 --> 00:21:58,059 playlist, and for more videos to help you find success and happiness using ancient philosophical 289 00:21:58,059 --> 00:22:00,279 wisdom, don’t forget to subscribe. 290 00:22:00,279 --> 00:22:02,700 Thanks so much for watching.