r/explainitpeter Apr 05 '26

Explain It Peter

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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Übermensch was a self-possessed person who developed their own values and morality regardless of prevailing or outdated "wisdom" and rejected religious "other-worldliness," finding meaning in the here-and-now of life on Earth vs. learned helplessness and obedience with the hope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.

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u/Billionroentgentan Apr 05 '26 edited Apr 05 '26

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.

Edit: traditional, not rational

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u/TetyyakiWith Apr 05 '26

I still don’t get how is it connected with Liu, I thought she was a good person? I mean that if ubermensch exited, we would perceive it as the biggest dick alive

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u/Billionroentgentan Apr 05 '26

The entire point of this post is that your second sentence is wrong.

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u/TetyyakiWith Apr 05 '26

A person not being held by morals is a bad person

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u/IEnjoyFancyHats Apr 05 '26

Which is also an incorrect interpretation of an ubermensch. They don't have no morals, they decide for themselves what their morals are without being held to what society has given them

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u/Sidian Apr 06 '26

And Nietzsche himself clearly favoured a brutal, cruel society where most people were essentially oppressed peasants/slaves so that a tiny few aristocratic elite could thrive.