Notes from Underground

Dostoevsky is a genius (or so I am told). There may be something to this. I have been reading "Notes from Underground" and am very curious to see where it leads. This excerpt spoke to sentiments I have (at least at some point) shared:

You thirst for life and try to settle the problems of life by a logical tangle. And how persistent, how insolent are your sallies, and at the same time what a scare you are in! You talk nonsense and are pleased with it; you say impudent things and are in continual alarms and apologizing for them. You declare that you are afraid of nothing and at the same time try to ingratiate yourself in our good opinion. You declare that you are gnashing your teeth and at the same time you try to be worth so as to amuse us. You know that your witticisms are not witty, but you are evidently well satisfied with their literary value. You may, perhaps, have really suffered, but you have no respect for your own suffering. You may have sincerity, but you have no modesty; out of the pettiest vanity you expose your sincerity to publicity and ignominy. You doubtless mean to say something, but hide your last word through fear, because you have not the resolution to utter it, and only have a cowardly impudence. You boast of consciousness, but you are not sure of your ground, for though your mind works, yet your heart is darkened and corrupt, and you cannot have a full, genuine consciousness without a pure heart. And how intrusive you are, how you insist and grimace! Lies, lies, lies!

Ubermensch

3.

"I beseech you, my brothers, remain true to the earth, and do not believe those who speak to you of otherworldly hopes! They are poison-mixers, whether they know it or not.
"They are despisers of life, themselves the decaying and poisoned, of whom the earth is weary: so away with them!
"Once the sin against God was the greatest sin; but God died, and those sinners died with him. To sin against the earth is the most dreadful sin, and to esteem the entrails of the unknowable higher than the meaning of the earth" (10)!

"What is ape to man? A laughing-stock or a painful embarrassment. And just the same shall man be to the Ubermensch: a laughing-stock or a painful embarrassment" (9).

"The Ubermensch is the meaning of the earth. Let your will say: The Ubermensch shall be the meaning of the earth" (9)!

"Where is the lightning to lick you with its tongue? Where is the frenzy with which you should be inoculated?
"Behold, I teach you the Ubermensch: he is that lightning, he is that frenzy" (11)!

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This chapter almost made my head explode! I realized that this is going to be much more difficult than originally anticipated and that this book is so deeply rooted in metaphor that I honestly get lost.

This is Z's first encounter with the people he is so excited to share his knowledge with, and they completely misunderstand him. After dropping all kinds of knowledge bombs, they misread his sermon instead as an introduction for the visual stimulus they are about to experience, that of a tightrope walker. Consume! Consume! Consume! Mindless, base, animalistic impulse to numb our minds in favor of reflection, thought.  How shortsighted we can be to the knowledge that surrounds us!

How shortsighted we can be to the knowledge that surrounds us! Ponder that a moment... I'll wait...

When I initially read this chapter (years ago), I thought of the Ubermensch as the next step in evolution, an actual super-man. Now, I read this passage as what man could be. Z is telling us to wake up and actualize our potential, a thought I can undoubtedly resonate with in so many ways. I always want to be a better person. Do people talk about earnestness anymore? I feel like it's far too undervalued these days.

I believe we have much more potential than we actualize. The source? On a practical level, I think technology is crippling at times. I've been guilty of traipsing through the day, scouring social media like some drug-addled junkie on a mission for another high. What is the high? What am I waiting for? What am I hoping will come from my keeping up to date on the story people are telling about their lives. Note that I didn't say what is actually going on but, rather, the story they are portraying to the imagined audience that is the internet. It is interesting what our lives can look like when we get to select what we wish to share and what we do not.

More than social media, technology in general often keeps us from productivity, from experience, from living. Everything is so accessible to us in our culture. There is no more room for mystery and creativity. The answers to everything are just a Google search away resting (if you're like me) always within reaching distance of your smart phone. So much entertainment to keep us distracted. How many shows do you follow? How many Netflix series have you binged through?

Again, I'm guilty of most of this, but I do wonder what I could achieve and experience without so much distraction in my life. Ask yourself what are your biggest distractions, and then ask if you believe they're worth it? Mine? Social media, TV shows, video games, and alcohol. Some of those are more "worthwhile" than others, but which ones I will leave to mystery.

Here I've gone on this rant and now this post is no longer what I thought it would be when I set out. I did mean to talk about the opening quote and idea of how staying true to the earth is an idea our culture wrestles with. It is related to what I discussed above but has its own points worth discussing. Who has the time?! Perhaps that is the point! Perhaps that is part of the fun, part of the adventure! Leaving some things to mystery and setting off on a journey without knowing exactly where you'll end up.

There is some Romantic poet who has something meaningful to say about keeping an active, engaged mind, but, alas! after searching for as long as I was willing to search, I was unable to find it. If you figure out what it is throw it my way!

Be engaged,
-Josh

Formatting and the Old Dude from the Prologue

So I've been quibbling with myself over formatting. Initially I thought I would break down all of the quotes that jumped out at me. While the idea of this appeals to me greatly, the practicality of it would make it such that I wouldn't ever make any progress, and this is what we are looking for: progress.

For this and other various reasons, I've decided I am going to merely post quotes I fancy, and then I'm just going to write whatever is on my mind at the moment. This may or may not have any relation to the text itself--I'll admit now that the latter will probably be the case most often--, but it will at least provide me the opportunity to get some thoughts out while reading again.

Here goes something...


Zararthustra's Prologue (1-2) (Click for summary)

You great star! What would your happiness be if you had not those for whom you shine! (7)

[an old man] "Why, said the saint, "did I go into the forest and the desert? Was it not because I loved men far too well? Now I love God: men, I do not love. Man is for me too imperfect a thing. Love of man would kill me." (8)

"And what is the saint doing in the forest?" asked Zarathustra.
The saint answered: "I make songs and sing them; and in making hymns I laugh and weep and hum: thus I praise God." ...
But when Zarathustra was alone, he spoke thus to his heart: "Could it then be possible! This old saint in his forest has not yet heard of it, that God is dead!" (9)

At least for my first post I will say that there is so much more going on than I will be able to cover. Here, that said, are some thoughts.

I could but will never write a book about my thoughts on God. I will begin by simply saying that I do not believe in God. That isn't to say it is impossible for God to exist: it means more than my life functions as if he/she/it doesn't. It's a question I considered for a large portion of my life and have found myself much more morally/intellectually satisfied on this side of the school yard. Plus, this side has monkey bars and swings. I like monkey bars and swings.

Zarathustra is going to be dropping some knowledge bombs soon. This old man and his practices/beliefs are antiquated and are in desperate need of revision. It is interesting that the prophet allows the old man to stay in the forest though: "Cool, man. Not exactly sure what reality you're living in, but have fun! I'm bringing stuff that's relevant to people."

I've been as I am for so long now that it is at times difficult to remember that so much of the world functions differently than I do. The majority of the world (someone want to fact check it?) believe in God and/or practice a religion. On some arrogant level I believe myself to be like Zarathustra by wanting to echo the same words he speaks to the old man, "[they have] not  yet heard of it, that God is dead!" The rational side of me, however, understands this is far too simplistic. There are many productive aspects to religion, and there are a multitude of very productive people who are religious/believers.

That said, there's also a lot of bullshit. It's the bullshit I'm not down with. If we could all try to just work together to make the world a better, sustainable place without having to bring God into at all, I'd be very pleased. God, however--in whatever different form taken--is keen to remain in the picture. Can we change that yet? Are we there yet, or do we still need to take time to talk about streets of gold and lakes of fire?

Hopefully that doesn't come out too harshly. I do appreciate all of the positive byproducts that religion is responsible for in our society.

That's probably good for now. I'll read some more and post my thoughts soon. In the meantime, drop me a line, yes?

-Josh


****I'm reading the B&N Classics Hardcover version of this book

New Series - Thus Spoke Zarathustra

Why, hello there! I'm very glad you found your way here and would not have had it any other way.

Now, being a few years removed from the college experience, I think I've finally grown past the repudiation of all things academic and am ready to again meander through the world of philosophy, literature, poetry, et al. in hopes of understanding humanity a little better. I don't know what you're educational experience was like, but I was barraged with a new mountain of books every ten weeks until I couldn't recall what belonged where and which belonged to whom. This saturation burned me out something fierce, and, unsurprisingly, upon graduation I was ready to leave that history buried forever. It turns out, however, that only the Sith deal in absolutes and I am no Sith. (In case you're having trouble unraveling that Star Wars reference, suffice it to say I can't help myself: opulence affords meditation.)

Opulence affords meditation

So--in an effort to assuage my penchant for superfluous angst I am endeavoring to make my way through different works that pique my interest. My hope is that these reflections will transmute those lingering bits of inner tension into some kind of knowledge or growth.

Won't you join me in this journey? Our first arbitrary stop is Nietzsche's, Thus Spoke Zarathustra, and, as an incompetent philosopher, I would definitely benefit from the dialogue.

See you soon.

-K bye.