Why You Should Seek Power, Not Happiness - Nietzsche's Guide to Greatness 

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One of my favourite quotes from Nietzsche (from the 3rd essay in genealogy iirc) goes something like this: man would rather will nothingness than will nothing at all. That is, in nihilism and depression, we will ourselves into a catatonic state of hibernation, the lowest possible state of physical energy to sustain a painful and self-pitying wakefulness -- so strong is the power of our will that we are driven to kill ourselves rather than endure willing nothing at all. I am reminded of this insight everytime I impulsively entertain depressive or suicidal thoughts. Certainly, a creature whose will is strong enough to drive its body and spirit to death is a powerful one. And I say to myself, "if I am powerful enough to kill myself, I must also be powerful enough to live."

I always say this and people think I’m crazy. It’s power you want, internal power, power to be able to get through anything. THAT leads to happiness. Not power to manipulate others but to manipulate your own ego

"The measure of man is what he does with power" -Plato

"All that is bad comes from weakness"-- very true Neediness=desperation Desperation often pushes us past our moral inhibitions.

"Written laws are like spiders’ webs, and will, like them, only entangle and hold the poor and weak, while the rich and powerful will easily break through them." ~ Anacharsis

Power over oneself is the noblest form of power there is.

1:48 Power is enhancement of capacity. How to attain power: 3:03 Step 1: Set a goal that is meaningful & challenging, promotes health and well-being, is conducive to attaining personal excellence, and is self-chosen. 3:49 Step 2: Dedicate consistent time each days to accomplishing that goal 5:33 Step 3: Once achieved, put your goal behind you and set another goal.

Its absurd is what it is, that we are getting this kind of life-affirming content for free. We really do appreciate it, kind sir.

One cannot skip the struggle and gain the strength. There must be an opposition in all things.

I find I am the most happiest when constant improvement and success has been scheduled out in a slow constant flow. Too much and I am overwhelmed. Too little and I lose sight. Constant and consistent growth provides a happiness that is real and lasting. The struggle is keeping the flow at just the right rate.

3:14 4 elements of a goal 1. Meaningful and challenging 2. Promotes health 3. Personal excellence 4. Self chosen - expression of individuality.

I have never read Nietzsche before but I think he is right. In the case of suffering. I have had the misfortune to always be suffering. Ever since I was little.. later in my teens I developed severe auto immune disease that crippled me.. and also battled with bipolar depression. Until recently 4 years ago I went through a really rough patch mentally.. I really thought I was gonna have to just loose this fight. But one things that I found give me a more calm state and stable is being empowered. By knowledge and strength. being empowered I have notice give me more happiness. Especially with mental problems where I feel I have no control over my emotions. So what I now seek in this life is knowledge and strength. I always looking for ways to make my self more resilient against the battles of life. I always look to nature.. how animals and trees and all other especies have survive this nasty world. You have to be strong. And that is what I seek now. Strength power, Knowledge. Diet is key to strength.

The most important object to control in life is you, if you control you, you control the only object that matters to you, you! And you don’t need control anyone else!

"The mind adapts and converts to its own purposes the obstacle to our acting. The impediment to action advances action. What stands in the way becomes the way."

Been studying Nietzsche a lot recently, and this has definitely been one of the most concise and valuable comments on his work I’ve seen

This message was great. Want to also say that some of your member only content is so insightful, allowing to deeply understand the light & shadow sides of life (and integrate them!), that it's totally worth the membership! Thank you for putting out such thoughtful content.

Basically, I think Nietzsche encouraged us to get in touch with our inner power and work it out. Once we acknowledge our own power as something unique, then we work on our goals we're willing to achieve by using our same power. Our talents, skills, inclinations, or whatsoever must be worth discovering, and then putting into practice at the goals we set for ourselves, otherwise, we shall never realize what it's our purpose in life whereas we end up following the herd. Nietzsche called it "The moral of Servants"

Self mastery is the ultimate form of power because I am my greatest enemy.

Multiple chills from this one. Wow. Cannot thank you enough friend! So much to extract.

Thanks so much for the content. I've been nurturing short term comfort in favour of long term discomfort for too long now and this has helped snap me out of that trance and be brave enough to get back started. 💪

Mastering the mortal body is one of our greatest challenges here on earth. Don’t let the natural man control your actions. Resist you carnal appetites and conquer your lesser self. Before you were born of the flesh, you were born of the spirit.

Going through withdrawals and it hit me that every temptation is a test and every test I pass I feel joyful and I feel my self getting more powerful. It’s funny I’m enjoying this cycle of battle victory and joy. It’s addicting. This is life indeed

one of the best videos on Nietzsche I watched! Here you summarized splendidly the most important aspect of Nietzsche's philosophy. Excellent job!

I have watched this numerous times now it is by far the best one. It explains why I still feel a never ending need to keep learning and change myself through physical aspiration. Knowledge and Physical expression something I lost these last 10 years.

“There is NO knowledge that is not POWER.” ~ Ralph Waldo Emerson

This is one of many universal ideals pursued by human nature. Will to power is called " kai zen " in Japan. Keep up the good work!

Once again, the Academy of Ideas and Nietzsche together have given me a direction when I was lost. Thank you!

A very important video. The word power has been distorted through my years of education to mean something and connote to something as only being bad. What a refresher to receive this content in such trying and disingenuous times!

Perfect presentation of Nietzche's concept of power. What was most appealing to me was that suffering is an integral part of power and an essential ingredient of power. After all, how Nietzche's concept of power is different from that of Machiavelli, the former believed in the self-overcoming concept of power, whereas the latter emphasized the ability to control and rule others. Interesting to know that Nietzche's concept of power is somehow identical to the notion of happiness in the Buddhist tradition which deals more with self-mastery and detachment from external distractions.

It was important for me to hear this at such a critical time. Thank you.

In J.Cole’s words “There’s beauty in the struggle”

Guide on how to attain power and the 4 conditions: 1. The goal must be meaningful and challenging. 2. It must promote our health and well-being or the well-being of others. 3. It must be conducive to the attainment of personal excellence. 4. It must be self-chosen.

Fascinating reading of Nietzsche. A more nuanced insight on the will to power than the one I held. Thank you.

This video really hit home with me. I have been fighting mild depression having to deal with certain people I don't want to deal with, and fretting over the political chaos and bad times I can see coming. It's been hard to face the resistance I put on myself due to my own emotions and inability to with the battle against hesitancy I seem to have...my biggest resistance to achieving my goals is myself.

This video showed up to me at the right time. I was questioning myself about my vices that start to grow up along the week, those are the resistance that i must overcome in order to be a better person. I need to keep pushing, keep going to the gym, keep reading philosophy, keep studying art. Its not easy, at the end of the week i am just exhausted, but if i keep pushing it will be overcome. And its better to be exhausted by labour at the end of the day than let my vices turn me in to a weakling.

Hello @academy of ideas I dont know which came first, the youtube channel or the website. But i love both! I can’t describe how much joy your channel has given me. Sometime i like to sit back and listen to the video, but sometimes i love to read the transcript and absorb it myself cuz there are pockets of gold in here. Tytytyt again so much

I'm almost in tears of beauty and elaboration of this video...

Brilliant video as always, love your work!

This was amazing. We know all these but never know which one is better. Thanks for showing it so visually

I've been looking for this collections of ideas in a single video for so long. Thank you for sharing knowledge, cheers !

I am not convinced by Friedrich’s argument, but great video series; its really provoked some deep thinking in my head!

True power requires responsibility and determination to know yourself. Power corrupts without any integrity, truth and genuine love for each moment of life. Living with the understanding that brings you to a place of peace of mind and generosity. You gain power in not seeking. Power is the result of living with kindness and gratitude in loving with respect and focused attention on what you love and need ❤ No reason for suffering when you don't seek energies that are materialistic or on comparisons or competing with others. Power is a result of love in actions that are beneficial and vital for the environment and the people who are given the chance to be equally successful and nurtured. Peace is a power. War is a process of insanity and the result of fear and helplessness. Power to the people of the world in understanding that we all are truly essential and powerful in our love for each other and the healing of our lives with kindness and compassion. Enjoy your own power of being present in your life now as a person who loves. It will result in joy and peace. Blessings to you all!

Embrace the suck, welcome the pain, and take on suffering, because that’s where growth is.

This is very important thing you shared with us, I've been observing this myself before even watching this, Big Thanks for sharing this. Knowledge is a light that makes the way clearer and help us lead better life.

Great video! Thank you for this much love for this channel!!!

This explains why so many people are enthusiastically claiming to be oppressed while simultaneously living in the least oppressive era of human history.

I’ve tried reading Nietzsche before, because I love his ideas. But I tend to get annoyed and distracted by the fluffy language I find him and other philosophers use on a regular basis. I really love your channel and how you distill brilliant ideas into a form that’s easy to grasp and implement into actual life. Keep up the great work!

This is helpful to me today, and affirms the lessons I’ve already been learning on a long road of differentiation after having been codependent for many years.

Seek neither pleasure nor power, but meaning and fulfillment. Only the latter is the key to true happiness.

I've personally been following something a bit similar to what has been mentioned here . My experiences have shown me that when I'm in a difficult situation mentally, I find doing my work very therapeutic. Regardless of what the actual work is, as long as it's helping me improve myself and become better than I was before, working harder really does seem to put me in a better place mentally. I call this "work therapy ".

This ties beautifully with Jordan Peterson's teachings of becoming a civilized monster: "You should be a monster, an absolute monster, and then you should learn how to control it"

I believe the man that can exercise self control and power over himself and himself alone, is the most powerful one. "SEEK YE FIRST", and all else shall be added unto you. 🙏🏽

We have the power for all things in ourselves to look inwards and change or fix what we need to or challenge ourselves every day.

It is not only the ratio of pleasure to pain that determines the quality of a life, but also the sheer quantity of pain. Once a certain threshold of pain is passed, no amount of pleasure can compensate for it. - David Benatar There's a spectrum here. Too much suffering does not produce an optimized humanity. The level of suffering is not invariable. We are living in an age of permanent illness and meaningless separation, having little agency to shape our environment so as to shape who we are and optimize the human condition.

Thank you for your videos. This one especially re kindles a spirit in me ready to face life again with an empowering outlook. Much appreciated always.

Fascinating and outstanding. Such a revelation from an innate yet apparent sense of purpose and belonging that speaks to the innermost strengths and desires of the human mind and spirit. I greatly appreciated this. Thank you

One must endure! This is the motivation of the mind when one accomplishes power!

You can't stay happy, it's temporary. Build, create, grow instead.

This is one of THE BEST video on Men's development I watched so far. It's like every Self-improvement video in RU-vid condensed into one. Thank you very much for presenting this wonderful video my friend 🙏🤝

Great video - exactly the message I needed to hear!

Still here 5 years later, having adopted "I am that which must overcome itself" as a life mantra from your "Suffering and Self-overcoming" video. Although I have made progress since then, there is still much to be overcome.

Power equals work done over time. Power = (work done) / time "Love work and knowledge are the wellsprings of our life. They should also govern it." Wilhelm Reich

Probably the most valuable video in your channel so far.

Excellent as always. Superb analysis.

Great video, and good usage of quotes. Artwork on point as usual...

This channel is exceptional, my man.. Keep it up!

This video was perfectly placed on my feed, just when I needed it.

Amazing work as always. Ty

Seek power within, your power, seek it outside you'll find corruption of one's self

Academy of ideas is summarising complex philosophical ideas into simple narrative forms so a lay man can get better understanding of life.

Thanks for this powerful insight. This is amazing.

Just amazingly simple and clear. It appears we have swapped out "suffering" used in the 19th century for "challenges" in the modern day. Don't be afraid to suffer...The key is to know what you are suffering for.

“Protection and power are overrated. I think you are very wise to choose happiness and love.” ― Uncle Iroh, Avatar The Last Airbender

The definition of power by Friedrich Nietzsche is mastery.

Kool thoughts and ponderings! Godspeed and God bless!

this was an incredibly powerful video, thank you sir.

I chuckled when I read the title because I don't remember nietzsche being an all to happy fella from what I have learned 😆

One of the first things I learned when I joined the army was “adapt, improvise, overcome” later on in life I learned about the “stress recovery adaptation cycle” and now it all makes sense

"There is no way to happiness. Happiness is the way" Wayne Dyer

Ever since I was a young teengager, I've always priortized power and strength over happiness. I recently started reading Nietzche, (partly due to your videos) and it resonates with me so much.

Learn to conquer oneself, and none shall conquer you

Great video my friend. It all fits like a glove.

You are doing great job ...all your videos...give light to a wandering bark ..in some way... Thankyou

I have no greater goal than to do my Ascension...for that is the ultimate in spiritual power. Thanks for the video.

Wow! This is what I have been trying to figure out. What is the meaning of life. I figured out that is was truly subjective and self determined. Then the objective was choose a purpose which is entirely determined by core values. Thank you for creating great content like this.

1)Meaningless and challenging 2)Health and well being 3)Conducive to attaining personal excellence 4)Must be chosen personally

What a great and really important video! Thank you.

Yes! It's so important to have dreams and chase them, to strive and resist obstacles! Happiness is terribly overrated.

He saw a pattern in all animals - to dominate, establish superiority, control the behavior of other animals. What he was seeing are the behaviors caused by a quest for the neural transmitter - serotonin. Low serotonin - depression . high serotonin - well being, high self esteem, feelings of competence. I have learned not to take serotonin from people - but instead garner it from things: controlling the guitar as I compose and record. Will to power over things, not people.

Crazy video. Good work and thank you.

Thank you so much for this.

This world would be great if we focussed on empowering others rather than overpowering them.

In the quest to live a good life, each of us, consciously or implicitly, chooses an ultimate value around which to orient our life. For many this value is wealth, for others it may be status, social-acceptance, happiness, pleasure, love, knowledge, or Comfort. Power - "the enhancement of a capacity or an activity already given." (Nietzsche's Values) As a few examples, an athlete who becomes stronger is increasing his power, as is the writer who improves her writing, the orator who sharpens his public speaking abilities, or the teacher who enhances her capacity to educate. "Power is "more life" not by its mere continuation, nor by its multiplication, but by life's being raised to a higher level of capacity and control;,..Power is transition to a higher level...a "self-overcoming". the point to my life is my growth or strengthening and [this] lies not merely in expanding but in ascending, which involves Overcoming previous states of myself." John Richardson, Nietzsche's Values to attain this power and the first step is to formulate a goal that fulfills 4 conditions. Firstly, the goal must be meaningful and challenging. Secondly, it must promote our health and well-being, or the well-being of others. Thirdly, it must be conducive to the attainment of personal excellence; and finally, must be self-chosen, or in other words, an expression of our individuality and authentic aspirations. "For what purpose humanity is there should not even concern us: why you are here, that you should ask yourself: and if you have no ready answer, then set for yourself goals, high and noble goals." Nietzsche, Unpublished Note We would have obstacles and resistances. "The will to power can only express itself against resistances; it seeks what resists it.. all expansion, incorporation, growth, is striving against something that resists. strong nature needs resistance; hence it seeks resistance. Nietzsche, The Will to Power the game of resistance and victory which consists of a "hindrance that is Overcome and immediately followed by another hindrance, that is again overcome", we will increase our power and eventually attain the goal we have and whatever it is we have become, created, or achieved, behind us, and set our sights on the next, greater, goal. "Whatever I create and however much love It, soon I must oppose it and my love; thus my will wills it."

Control and power over self is the most important and noble thing to achieve.

Thank you my friend, I really needed to hear this today 🙂

"I need more power!" ~ Vergil

There's no solution for suffering. Life is suffering. Death is the escape from it. And power doesn't bring happiness, it brings corruption that disguises itself as happiness and invokes the worst within human nature. We are seeing it all unfold with the influential tyrants ruining the world right now.

Man, I needed this. Thank you 🫡

Thank you for sharing this wisdom