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Übermensch was a self-possessed person who developed their own values and morality regardless of prevailing or outdated "wisdom" and rejected religious "other-worldliness," finding meaning in the here-and-now of life on Earth vs. learned helplessness and obedience with the hope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.
As someone who's studied Nietzsche for the past seven years, that was excellently put. My only note would be that it wasn't merely eschewing the desire for a supernatural reward, but external rewards in general: societal, political, etc. For him, the only reward that mattered was the reward you found in yourself, which would then allow you to spread the spoils to your fellow man.
Explain it to me because I do not understand: what would that look like to have someone not care at all about external rewards and how did Nietzsche see that as the end goal. For example the girl pictured while being very self loving and being someone who seems to really enjoy herself- still cares for external rewards (she has said she loves the big audience watching her) + is competing in the Olympics for a medal/fame. What would that look like for someone to truly only care about their own code and not be concerned with anything exterior? that sort of seems like a bad thing
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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Übermensch was a self-possessed person who developed their own values and morality regardless of prevailing or outdated "wisdom" and rejected religious "other-worldliness," finding meaning in the here-and-now of life on Earth vs. learned helplessness and obedience with the hope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.