What we lose living in the past
What is more lamentable than the last man? He who is so distracted by the arse-shaking baboon that he misses the wise counsel of Zarathustra in Thus Spake Zarathustra.
When do we stagnate as last men? Is it not when we are stuck in the past, unable to appreciate the glory and opportunity of the present? Welded to the past, and blaming ourselves for things we cannot change? From the trivial (missed credit card payment) to the most profound (a belief system that’s invalid hence Planck’s principle science moves forward one funeral at a time).
In his essay On the Use and Abuse of History for Life, Nietzsche fights against the life-negative tendency to be stuck in the past for it leads to man “losing himself in the stream of becoming.” You’re stuck in an unkept studio, going to a job you know isn’t for you, ruminating in your head about past offenses or mistakes. Entire nations are stuck ruminating on ugly chapters of their past. From our most mundane existence to our most profound, we are often like a sheep constantly chewing on the same turd. Spit it out and taste something new!
Through his concept of living unhistorically, Nietzsche argues that “life in any true sense is absolutely impossible without forgetfulness.” He compares this concept to the atmosphere. How could we live without the atmosphere?
Written more than a hundred years ago in high up mountain villages in Switzerland, Nietzsche’s insights are thoroughly supported by modern science including the insight that we are energy beings. When we ruminate on negative aspects of the past, we release negative energies that scare away opportunities. Who will approach you for a new job, a date, or some great opportunity if you look miserable?
Of course, it’s not easy simply “forgetting.” Many of us turn to spirituality, the support and grace of God and his archangels and angels. Even if you are welded to “science” and do not accept spirituality, you can follow some of the strategies below:
Writing down and saying aloud affirmations. Language has deep creative power, use it!
Listening to relaxing, instrumental music. I like Steven Halpern.
Exploring chakras and setting aside time throughout the day to meditate and reflect
Note: the strategies above work ONLY if you believe they will work. As many scientific studies are now finding, intent is a necessary condition for healing. The so-called “placebo” effect works only because people believe the fake pills will work. The healing happens still….
We must know the right time to forget as well as the right time to remember; and instinctively see when it is necessary to feel historically, and when unhistorically. This is the point that the reader is asked to consider; that the unhistorical and the historical are equally necessary to the health of an individual, a community, and a system of culture.
On the Use and Abuse of History for Life
Friedrich Nietzsche