I am convinced that happiness, if it is at all sustainable or durable, must for most people consist in resigning oneself to the pervasive and inescapable total crapness of the world.
NP: The Decemberists, Here I Dreamt I Was an Architect
October 28, 2003
Happiness is…
Posted by Michael at 3:47 pm | Permalink | Comments (6)
944(Jan.–Fall 1888)
What is noble?—That one constantly has to play a part. That one seeks situations in which one has constant need of poses. That one leaves happiness to the great majority: happiness as peace of soul, virtue, comfort, Anglo-angelic shopkeeperdom à la Spencer. That one instinctively seeks heavy responsibilities. That one knows how to make enemies everywhere, if the worst comes to the worst even of oneself. That one constantly contradicts the great majority not through words but through deeds.
Comment by Stephenhero—October 29, 2003 @ 12:28 am
It’s the “deeds” part that always gets me. I have so far to go….
Apologies for the most selective reading of Nietzsche ever.
I was having a particularly difficult—ignoble, if you will—day, but it dealt directly with some people who may someday read this page, so I felt constrained to make an oblique blanket statement…and even then, I couldn’t bring myself to make an unqualified complaint. Brief, temporary flashes of bliss are of course possible—that is, afterall, what the internet is for. Also, I’m quite sure that there are people who never have to face the crapness, but remain quite content without any care whatever. I am sure I don’t like them, but I’m sure they’re there.
I, myself, still occasionally long for a long happiness. I know it’s juvenile, but I am lazy and far from noble. And the crapness, see, it is everywhere…
Comment by Michael—October 29, 2003 @ 11:45 pm
I’ve met those people. The ones who never have to face crapness. Some of them create crapness out of the most absurd and insignificant things while others are blissfully in la la land. I often wonder to what extend our muse is ‘in and out’ of crapness. I would think you would pretty much have to be almost completely removed from any common sense reality to take your top off at a private beach or stick your hand down your pants in public when duh cameras are everywhere cause you’ve got millions of fans. But unlike our muse, there are others who enjoy the same type lifestyle with the big big bonus of anonymity. They take $20+K vacations several times a year, own houses all over the world, and are no better off for it. I’ve met them. Lack of crapness is very overrated. Especially when one has no concept of crapness to begin with. Crapness will make you stronger, that is, if it doesn’t kill your spirit. I may be drunk, I am drunk, so I’ll give you my cut through the bullshit two cents opinion. You are Nietzsche’s nobleman for the most part. It’s within your grasp. Where you need to do some soul searching for lack of a better phrasing—where your nihilism origines—is this lack of purpose, maybe not necessarily a total lack, perhaps just simply a lack of conviction. I dunno. I may be projecting. I believe I know what needs to be done in my case. I’m just building strength/momentum to push the boulder up the mountain. Talent is the vampire. We are eternally returning in our world of sin.
Comment by Stephenhero—October 30, 2003 @ 9:06 pm
ah i see i was on the prowl again. projection is one thing, but portjection from a fool is cool. i do like the la la land people. if one doesnt have to deal with crapness, one ought to be nice to other people. thats how i feel. anyway. *yawn* time to get going.
Comment by Stephenhero—October 31, 2003 @ 12:33 pm
You are right about happiness Mike, or at least that is a large part of it. Kierkegaard called it the “movement of infinite resignation,” and the person who has made such a movement a “knight of faith.”
Of course one you resign yourself to the fact that you live in a “crappy” world (in the old tounge they would have said “fallen world”), then you can once again see the goodness and beauty there is left in it. Indeed, you can see the goodness and beauty at it’s core.
Comment by Ben—November 3, 2003 @ 11:36 am
Hey, do me a favor, and read the article at the other end of this link:
http://www.firstthings.com/ftissues/ft0310/articles/hart.html
It is without a doubt the best thing I’ve read in a long time, and even obliquely related to your topic here. It is so rare to find a Christian who takes Nietzsche seriously; nearly as rare as finding a nietzschean who takes Christianity seriously.
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Comment by Ubernietzsche—November 4, 2003 @ 3:22 pm