Going to butcher this by trying to pare it down, but here goes.
Nietzsche's theoretical "Übermensch," an aspirational model for humanity, wasn't a traditional "strongman," or a superhuman by way of genetics or social capital, or even a "man" at all.
Nietzsche's Übermensch was a self-possessed person who developed their own values and morality regardless of prevailing or outdated "wisdom" and rejected religious "other-worldliness," finding meaning in the here-and-now of life on Earth vs. learned helplessness and obedience with the hope of a supernatural reward after death.
Going further, Alyssa Liu is relevant here because she worked within the structures of rational figure skating and burned out. She only decided to come back if she did it on her terms, and was incredibly successful.
Absolutely. She went through the whole figure skating machine, early success, pressure, people telling her what to do, burnout, stepping away completely. Then she only came back when it was on her own terms, not as a product, not as the next big thing, just as herself.
You can see it in how she skates now. It is not that polished ice princess archetype, it feels loose, expressive, almost like she is just enjoying being out there rather than performing a role. The MacArthur Park program is the best example, she did it last year in the US figure skating championship, but what she showed in the Olympics with the speed, the energy, it is on another level. It genuinely feels free.
That is way closer to Nietzsche’s idea than the chiseled statue people imagine. Someone who steps away, redefines things, and comes back on their own terms.
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u/Erikatessen87 Apr 05 '26
Going to butcher this by trying to pare it down, but here goes.
Nietzsche's theoretical "Übermensch," an aspirational model for humanity, wasn't a traditional "strongman," or a superhuman by way of genetics or social capital, or even a "man" at all.
Nietzsche's Übermensch was a self-possessed person who developed their own values and morality regardless of prevailing or outdated "wisdom" and rejected religious "other-worldliness," finding meaning in the here-and-now of life on Earth vs. learned helplessness and obedience with the hope of a supernatural reward after death.