Last night the Socrates Café convened once again.  The topic of the evening was “self-actualization” a term introduced into public discourse by the psychologist Abraham Maslow (1908-1970).  Maslow presented a 5 step process, a journey starting from the basic need of food, water, shelter, etc, followed by a safe environment, progressing to the final apex of the pyramid schema, real-ization of the unique ability(s) constituting the self.

I have thought about Maslow’s work off and on since college.  The Socrates Café was the first opportunity to have an extended conversation with others, to critique and to extend the idea that fulfillment of an essential self is desirable and possible.

Also of interest to me is the schema used by Friedrich Nietzsche (1844 – 1900) to describe self actualization in Thus Spake Zarathustra. Nietzsche writes of three metamorphosis from camel to lion to child.  Nietzsche’s characterization lacks the linguistic precision of the social scientist Maslow.  Does not Nietzsche, the story telling philosopher offer more by way of fruitful imagination?

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Three metamorphoses of the spirit do I designate to you: how the spirit becometh a camel, the camel a lion, and the lion at last a child.

Many heavy things are there for the spirit, the strong load-bearing spirit in which reverence dwelleth: for the heavy and the heaviest longeth its strength.

What is heavy? so asketh the load-bearing spirit; then kneeleth it down like the camel, and wanteth to be well laden.

What is the heaviest thing, ye heroes? asketh the load-bearing spirit, that I may take it upon me and rejoice in my strength.

Is it not this: To humiliate oneself in order to mortify one’s pride? To exhibit one’s folly in order to mock at one’s wisdom?

Or is it this: To desert our cause when it celebrateth its triumph? To ascend high mountains to tempt the tempter?

Or is it this: To feed on the acorns and grass of knowledge, and for the sake of truth to suffer hunger of soul?

Or is it this: To be sick and dismiss comforters, and make friends of the deaf, who never hear thy requests?

Or is it this: To go into foul water when it is the water of truth, and not disclaim cold frogs and hot toads?

Or is it this: To love those who despise us, and give one’s hand to the phantom when it is going to frighten us?

All these heaviest things the load-bearing spirit taketh upon itself: and like the camel, which, when laden, hasteneth into the wilderness, so hasteneth the spirit into its wilderness.

— Zarathustra’s Discourses by Friedrich Nietzsche

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I am tempted to become lost in speculation after reading this description of a camel-like way of life, of “camel culture.”  I am impressed how well this describes the conservative minded: a slavish obedience to rules arbitrarily dispensed by autocratic leaders, a mindless search for truth as one suffers hunger of soul…

No doubt it is obvious that I am a recovering Evangelical.

Tomorrow we will consider what it means to become a lion according to Nietzsche.

Nietzsche wrote that Zarathustra spoke these words while staying in a town called The Pied Cow.