Herr Enigma

Watching:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzcD-LCKuNs&t=2278

Nietzsche wrote in cryptic aphorisms . . . for which everyone has their own interpretations.

I don’t think he, himself, was fully conscious of what he was so moved to be scribbling onto all those pages.

Based on an overall impression of his work, trying to discern the underlying intuitions and sentiments, my own interpretation of what he was getting at — which would only much later and gradually be expressed with some clarity — is the idea that we’re over-domesticated. He blamed Christianity, but we now can take a longer-range view of it.

Over-domesticated vs. wild and free.

“Slave morality:” the plight of the domesticated.

The Apollinian mindset, the religious mores, the cities, the institutions of civilization: repressive.

Dionysian freedom: unrepressed, wild.

The “uberman” thing was just about an ideal to strive for, to be a free person (such a challenge, given all the cultural forces to conform and self-eviscerate).

“Will to power” might be better expressed as “will to freedom.” But Nietzsche’s own expression was so enigmatic. The Nazis could interpret it as “will to aggrandize the race.” His disdain for “slave morality” could be interpreted as absence of compassion. “Uberman” could be interpreted as Ayn Randian elitism.

Etc.