Shameless
For in the realm of thought,
power and fame are hard to maintain
if erected on the basis of
error or lies;
the feeling that such a building
could at some time or other fall down
is humiliating
to the self-conceit of its architect;
he is ashamed of the fragility of his material and,
because he takes himself more seriously
than he does the rest of the world,
wants to do nothing that is not more enduring
than the rest of the world.
…it is his immeasurable pride
which wants to employ only the finest,
hardest stones for his work,
that is to say truths
or what he takes for truths.
Assorted Opinions and Maxims by Friedrich Nietzsche published in 1879 in the first supplement to Human All Too Human
This passage captured my attention. My reading journey begins though A Nietzsche Reader, translated passages by R. J. Hollingdale. It seems advantageous to consider a collection of the “best of” sections compiled by a respected translator of Nietzsche’s published works.
This passage caused me to consider the extent of the arc of the pendulum transversal in our own country. In former generations reverence was generally paid to truth, even if there were always outliers. Consummate liars were seldom placed in high office, chosen by citizens with “eyes wide open.” That has changed. There is a big difference between racism, misogyny, even advocacy of slavery if one believes those behaviors to reflect the order of things, than that of the cynic, who “knowing better” yet advocates inhumane behavior.
No shame, no concern about humiliation. “Pedal to the Metal,” full speed ahead!
The language game of politics always involves shading, awareness that your bias caters to the prejudices of your supporters.
On the other hand, that a human pez dispenser of lies, a fabulist continues to have traction, cultivating a community of insurrection shows the extent of our social decrepitude, that we are at stage 4, a metastasis of vacuum of conscience, of a society eccentric with injustice.
Or so it seems to me.
2 thoughts on “Shameless”
In the book you had recommended that I’m currently reading, Psychological Roots of the Climate Crisis, the author addresses this phenomenon in the form of Egypt’s Amenhotep IV as he took power and transformed himself into a god-like entity. The cross reference to Trump is unmistakable since these people are the proverbial two peas in a pod. 3,000 years of history and we’re still repeating ourselves while not learning a thing.
The Alfred E. Neuman concept and gap-toothed stupid grin image endures. “What, Me Worry?”