Friedrich Nietzsche - How Chaos Helps You Find Meaning In Your Life (Existentialism)

“The Overman. . .

Who has organized the chaos  of his passions, given style to his character, and become creative. Aware of life's terrors,  he affirms life without resentment. ” - Nietzsche Friedrich Nietzsche, a 19th-century German  philosopher known for his provocative ideas, was one of the key-figures in the philosophy of existentialism.

Among his famous works  are the books ‘Thus Spoke Zarathustra’, ‘The Birth of Tragedy’, ‘Beyond Good  and Evil’ and ‘Human, All Too Human. ’ Nietzsche, in his philosophy, introduces the  concept of the Übermensch, or “Overman”. It represents an individual who rises above the  ordinary limitations of human existence by rejecting conventional values and creating their  own.

The Übermensch is someone who recognizes that life has no inherent purpose or predefined  meaning but instead of being paralyzed by this realization, they embrace it as an opportunity  to define their own purpose. This individual does not rely on external sources of meaning,  such as religion or societal expectations, but instead takes full responsibility for their  own life and the values they choose to live by. The Übermensch uses chaos as a crucial tool  in this process.

Chaos, in Nietzsche’s view, is not something to be feared or avoided; instead,  it is a source of potential and creativity. And so, they embrace the chaos of life - its  unpredictability and uncertainty - as an opportunity to forge new paths and define their  own purpose. By engaging with chaos in this way, the Übermensch lives authentically,  finding meaning through their actions and choices in a world that offers no  easy answers.

We all encounter chaos, whether internally or externally, and  in this video, we'll explore how chaos can help us find meaning in our own lives  from the philosophy of Frederick Nietzsche. 1. Countering Nihilism Nietzsche says "God is dead.

God remains dead. And we have killed him. Yet  his shadow still looms.

How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? " Nietzsche’s concept of nihilism centers on the belief that traditional sources of meaning,  such as religion, morality, and societal values, have lost their power to provide any sense of  direction in modern life. Nietzsche observed that, for centuries, many people found meaning  through religious beliefs, which offered a clear framework for understanding  existence, morality, and the afterlife.

However, as society advanced, scientific  discoveries, new ways of thinking, and cultural shifts started to challenge the  unquestioned power of religious teachings. Nietzsche famously declared that "God  is dead," a metaphor for the decline of these traditional beliefs in the  modern world. This "death of God" did not mean that Nietzsche believed  in the literal death of a deity, but rather that the guiding principles of religion  no longer held the same sway over people's lives.

Nietzsche believed that realizing there’s no  inherent meaning in life could lead to two types of responses: passive nihilism and active  nihilism. Passive nihilism happens when people feel that life has no purpose, leading them to  withdraw, lose motivation, and stop pursuing goals or aspirations. They become paralyzed by  the emptiness they perceive in the world, unable to move forward or create meaning for themselves.

In contrast, active nihilism happens when people embrace the "death of God" as an opportunity  to reject outdated values and create new ones. Rather than being paralyzed by the collapse  of old beliefs, which results in not having a set purpose, active nihilists confront  this chaos, this uncertainty head-on, they use these challenges to improve themselves  and find a new way to live. They create their own meaning, even when things seem hopeless.

Nietzsche believed that chaos is not something to fear but rather a pathway to living freely  and shaping our lives around what truly matters to us. In the modern world, this can be done by  challenging societal expectations and questioning the values passed down to us, whether in our  careers, relationships, or personal beliefs. One example is choosing a non-traditional career  path, like becoming a digital nomad or freelancer, instead of following the conventional 9-to-5  route.

While society often equates success with a stable job and wealth accumulation,  you might question whether these societal values truly make you happy. By embracing the  unpredictability of a freelance lifestyle, you actively create your own path. This choice might  involve risks, such as financial instability or lack of a clear career trajectory, but it also  offers the freedom to work on projects you are passionate about, travel, and experience  life in ways that a conventional job might not allow.

Instead of blindly following the  path laid out by tradition, you can actively explore what truly matters to you, experimenting  with careers, creative endeavors, and new ideas. 2. Connecting Us to Our Instincts and Passions In the words of Nietzsche “I am a disciple of the philosopher Dionysus, I would  rather be a satyr than a saint.

” In his work The Birth of Tragedy, Nietzsche  introduces the concepts of Apollonian and Dionysian as two powerful and opposing  forces that he believed were central to offering deep insights into the human  experience and the search for meaning. The Apollonian, named after Apollo,  the Greek god of light and reason, embodies order, clarity, and individuality.  It is associated with the human drive to impose structure and rationality on the world,  creating systems that allow for predictability and control.

This principle reflects  the intellectual side of human nature, emphasizing the importance of order and  reason in constructing a manageable reality. On the other hand, the Dionysian, named  after Dionysus, the god of wine and ecstasy, represents chaos, passion, and the primal forces  of nature. It embodies the emotional, instinctual, and irrational aspects of life, it is through this  that individuals experience a sense of unity with others and the world.

Dionysian experiences often  involve losing a sense of self, like in moments of intense joy, group celebrations, or when  facing the raw, unfiltered parts of life like facing the death of a loved one or experiencing a  life-altering event, where emotions run deep, and the usual boundaries of everyday life dissolve. Nietzsche’s philosophy says the balanced integration of Apollonian order and Dionysian  chaos helps individuals navigate life with clarity and passion, creating a  richer and more dynamic existence. He believed that modern society focuses too  much on order, reason, and structure—Apollonian values—while neglecting the more emotional and  passionate side of life—Dionysian values.

This imbalance can make us feel disconnected from the  deeper, more intense experiences that come from embracing chaos and passion. By embracing joy, suffering, and ecstasy—the Dionysian aspects—we open  ourselves to the raw and intense experiences that define the essence of life. Engaging with  the chaotic and passionate forces within us, we begin to release strict self-control and  surrender to our emotions and desires.

And it’s this process that allows us to do just that.  It’s in these moments of raw experience that we tap into our subconscious, discovering desires  and truths that are usually kept in the shadows by our constant pursuit of order and control. Imagine you've always lived a highly structured life, sticking to strict routines, meeting  societal expectations, and following a clear set of moral guidelines.

Over time, you might have  suppressed certain desires because they didn’t fit the image you’ve built for yourself or because  you feared the consequences of acknowledging them. Now, picture yourself deciding to explore your  Dionysian side by attending a vibrant festival, where participants engage in ecstatic dance,  music, and communal celebration. In this setting, where societal rules are temporarily suspended,  you might find yourself drawn to behaviors or experiences you had previously denied  yourself - dancing freely without worrying about how you appear, forming deep emotional  connections with strangers, exploring creative desires you had never acknowledged before.

Through this experience, you might discover a strong desire to express yourself creatively, a  wish for more spontaneity and emotional connection in your life, or even a need to break free from  the strict rules you've set for yourself. By embracing the Dionysian side, you uncover these  hidden desires that were once held back by your need for order and control. 3.

Disrupting the routine To quote Nietzsche “The world itself is the will  to power - and nothing else! And you yourself are the will to power - and nothing else! ” When chaos enters our lives—whether through outside events, personal struggles, or changes  around us - it disrupts the predictable routines we depend on for stability and identity, leaving  us feeling confused and unsettled.

However, Nietzsche saw chaos not just as a disruptive  force but as an essential catalyst for growth. He introduced the idea of the "will to power,"  which is the natural drive in all of us to grow, assert ourselves, and improve. Chaos, with  all its unpredictability and challenges, is the perfect setting for this drive to shine.

During chaos, the structures we’ve built—our  habits, goals, and views—are challenged. When our routines fall apart and old ideas, beliefs,  and ways of thinking crumble, we’re forced to rethink what we believe and how we live. This  can be confusing or distressing at first, but in this uncertainty, we have the chance to  challenge the status quo and find new meaning.

Facing chaos allows us to rise above our limits  and become better versions of ourselves. In calm, predictable environments, there's little reason  to change or grow, which can lead to stagnation. But chaos shakes things up, forcing us  to adapt and find new ways to thrive.

Take the COVID-19 pandemic as an example. When  the pandemic hit, it turned our lives upside down. Routines were broken, and many people had  to figure out how to work from home, manage new stresses, and find balance in a changed world.

At  first, this chaos caused frustration and anxiety. But alongside that, it also created  opportunities for growth. Yes, someone who suddenly had to work from home  might have struggled at first, but over time, they found new ways to be productive,  rethought their work-life balance, and maybe even discovered new interests or  passions.

The challenges they faced forced them to adapt and grow, resulting in personal  growth and a clearer sense of identity. In this way, chaos can be a catalyst for  self-improvement. It shakes us out of our comfort zones, challenges our old ways  of thinking, and pushes us to innovate and grow.

By embracing chaos, we achieve  a deeper sense of meaning in our lives. 4. Unleashing Creativity Nietzsche once wrote "You must have chaos  within you to give birth to a dancing star".

Nietzsche believed that creativity is deeply  connected to the unpredictable and unstructured elements of life—what he called chaos. He  argued that creativity cannot truly flourish in environments dominated by order and control, where  everything is neatly organized and predictable. While such environments offer comfort and  stability, they limit the potential for genuine innovation.

When everything is known and  controlled, there’s little room for exploration, experimentation, or the emergence of new ideas. In contrast, Nietzsche saw chaos as a source of creativity because it often emerges from  situations of uncertainty, ambiguity, or crisis. Chaos represents the ever-changing,  unpredictable, complex, and mysterious parts of life that we can’t easily control.

It disrupts our  sense of order and pushes us out of our comfort zones into the unfamiliar. By engaging with  chaos, we’re encouraged to think in new ways, question old assumptions, find new solutions and  explore possibilities that otherwise stay hidden. Countless great works of art, music, literature,  and philosophy have emerged during times of personal or societal chaos.

According to  Nietzsche, life is naturally chaotic and full of surprises. So in this sense, creativity is not  just about producing something new - it’s about embracing the chaos of life itself, accepting its  uncertainties, its lack of clear boundaries, and its potential for both destruction and creation. To use chaos as a catalyst for creativity, we should regularly step out of our comfort  zones.

This means trying new activities, exploring unfamiliar ideas, and taking on challenges that  push us beyond our usual limits. Engaging with people from diverse backgrounds and beliefs can  also help us break free from conventional thinking and open ourselves to innovative solutions. We also need to embrace failure and be flexible enough to change and adapt when things  don’t go as planned.

Staying flexible helps us better navigate unexpected twists. Lastly,  we need to accept life’s unpredictability. By embracing this unpredictability, we can  better welcome the chaos that accompanies it.

5. Living with Intention and Appreciation In our final quote from Nietzsche for this  video, he says; “Time is a flat circle. Everything we have done or will do we will  do over and over and over again - forever.

” Nietzsche’s "tragic vision,"  inspired by ancient Greek tragedy, teaches us that suffering and conflict are  natural parts of life. Rather than viewing these aspects as purely negative, Nietzsche  saw them as opportunities for growth, beauty, and deeper understanding. Tragedy helps us face  life’s harsh realities - such as death, loss, and pain - without falling into hopelessness. 

Instead, we can find meaning and strength through these experiences. This vision challenges  the idea that life should be free of pain, suggesting that real meaning comes from accepting  all parts of life, even the chaotic and uncertain ones. It encourages us to embrace life’s  unpredictability and find significance in it.

Building on this tragic vision, Nietzsche  introduced the concept of the "eternal return," which is a powerful way to  think about living in a chaotic world. The eternal return suggests that  life, with all its ups and downs, might repeat itself endlessly, with  every joy, sorrow, and mistake happening again and again. This idea connects deeply with  Nietzsche's tragic vision: while the tragic vision teaches us to embrace life’s challenges, the  eternal return challenges us to consider how we would live if these challenges - and  every moment - were to repeat forever.

Imagine being given a brush and asked to paint on  a canvas that you will have to recreate over and over again, down to the smallest detail. This  metaphorical canvas represents your life, with all its vivid colors and dark shadows—the joy, the  sorrow, the triumphs, and the mistakes. Nietzsche asks you to imagine that every brushstroke  you make is permanent and will be repeated for eternity.

This isn’t just a challenge; it’s  a way to make you think about how you would live your life if every moment, every decision, and  every experience were to be repeated forever. This is what the eternal return is about: the idea  that your life, with all its highs and lows, might be lived out the same way infinitely. Knowing  this, how would you approach your life?

Would you be more thoughtful with each choice, knowing it  will be repeated forever? Would you try to bring more creativity into your life, finding ways to  make even ordinary moments meaningful? Would you appreciate each experience more, recognizing that  every moment adds to the richness of your life?

The eternal return challenges you to live as  if every moment is not just passing by but is a permanent part of your life’s story, one that  will be repeated infinitely. It encourages you to embrace life’s chaos, understanding that  even difficult moments are essential to your life’s story. By thinking this way, you might  start living with more purpose, creativity, and gratitude, realizing that every experience -  good or bad - adds to the richness of your life.

Imagine you’re stuck in a job that feels  repetitive and unfulfilling. Each day blurs into the next, filled with tasks that seem  meaningless, and you often wish you were doing something else. Now, consider Nietzsche’s idea of  the eternal return: What if you knew you’d have to relive this exact workday forever?

How would  that change your approach? From this perspective, you might start seeing your routine differently.  Instead of viewing it as dull, you could look for ways to make each day more meaningful—perhaps  by paying closer attention to interactions with colleagues, or by finding creative approaches to  even the simplest tasks.

For example, if you’re in customer service, rather than just going through  the motions, you could see each interaction as a chance to brighten someone’s day. Taking pride  in what you do, knowing that your efforts can make a difference, might give your work a new  sense of purpose. Embracing the eternal return encourages you to approach your workday with  more intention and appreciation.

Every small action—whether it’s helping a customer or just  organizing your desk—becomes a meaningful part of your life’s story and every moment, no matter  how small, adds to the richness of your life. If you enjoyed this video, please make  sure to check out our full philosophies for life playlist and for more videos to  help you find success and happiness using beautiful philosophical wisdom, don’t forget  to subscribe. Thanks so much for watching.