Nietzsche's Warning: The Danger of Herd Morality

Nietzsche warns against the danger of herd morality, which aims to suppress greatness and elevate mediocrity over excellence.

### Nietzsche's Warning Against the Dangers of Herd Morality and the Quest for Greatness
* 🚫 Nietzsche sees the prevailing anti-natural morality as the **greatest danger**, turning against life's instincts and pressuring individuals to **become smaller**.
* 🌟 "Would this morality itself be the **greatest danger of dangers**?"
* 🧠 Nietzsche categorizes individuals into two main types: the elevated humans and the herd, with the former having a **unifying life project** and being **indifferent to the concerns of the herd**.
* 🐑 The herd morality, born out of **resentment and envy**, seeks to **reduce the elevated individuals to a mediocre level**.
* 🎭 "The notion of the good man defending everything that is weak, sick, flawed... and who is now called evil - and in all this, it was believed to be **moral**!"
* 🌍 Nietzsche fears that if the herd morality destroys all that is extraordinary, **nihilism will prevail**.
* 🔄 "Today we see nothing that wants to become greater, we sense that things continue to **descend, to become thinner, more pleasant, more prudent, more comfortable, more mediocre, more indifferent**."
* 🔒 The revaluation of values ​​is essential to counteracting herd morality, and the elevated individual should **discover his own superior values**.
* "Our highest insights should - and must - sound like **madness and sometimes like crimes** when heard without permission by those who do not have a **predisposition and predestination** for them."

In the preface of his classic work, On the Genealogy of Morality, Nietzsche wrote: And if a regressive trait were to lurk in 'the good man' as a danger, a seduction, a poison, a narcotic, as if the present were then living depending on the future? Perhaps comfortably and less dangerously, but also with less thought, in a petty way?... Would morality itself then be guilty of this man never achieving the supreme power and splendor possible? And thus would this morality itself be the greatest danger of dangers? Many people do not question why things are considered morally good or bad; instead, without criticism and largely unconsciously, they adopt the values of judgment of good and evil prevailing within society. Two thousand years later, the dominant morality in the West, according to Nietzsche, has been an anti-natural morality, which, in his words, turns against the instincts of life. Nietzsche anticipates this morality as reigning over the Western world in the near future, and for him, the greatest danger of dangers. A morality in which all individuals, even those with the potential to rise above the mediocre mass, are pressured to become smaller, almost ridiculous, a herd instinct, something eager to please, sickly and mediocre. Why is there an anti-natural morality - a poison that spreads throughout the body of humanity (On the Genealogy of Morality) - that has gained dominion over Western

To answer this question, according to Nietzsche's categorization of individuals into two distinct types: elevated human beings and those who belong to the herd, they must be examined. Within the category of elevated human beings, there are two main types. There are the creative geniuses, the men of great creativity, the truly great ones, according to my understanding. (The Will to Power) Men who, through a combination of nature and nurture, are able to devote their lives to a craft and bestow upon the world astonishing works of beauty. Alongside the creative genius, there are more numerous elevated men who do not reach the heights of the geniuses, they are hidden from the public eye. Their lives are without music and singers. (Dawn) The lives of these elevated humans are not qualitatively different from the lives of the creative geniuses; both share similar character traits that set them apart from the herd. Elevated humans have a unifying life project and are consumed by the impulse to realize their sublime goals. This unified project is not achieved through short-term gratification but rather as a result of a vast historical perspective of the elevated man. It is a form of work performed under the gaze of the centuries, an objective whose effects remain far beyond the physical death of the elevated man. As Nietzsche wrote in Human, All Too Human: The modern individual focuses highly on his own lifespan... and wants to pluck the fruit of the tree he plants himself.

He no longer likes to plant those trees that require a century of constant care and are intended to provide shade for long and successive generations. (Human, All Too Human) For these types of sublime works, the elevated man requires his solitude and freedom from the herd. The countless small and pitiful men, as Nietzsche wrote: The concept of greatness implies being noble, desiring to be by oneself, capable of being different, remaining alone, and having to live independently. (Beyond Good and Evil) Remaining alone and living independently, the elevated man remains indifferent to the insignificant concerns that occupy the herd. And he is immune to both praise and criticism emanating from the mouths of many. There is a solitude within him that is inaccessible to praise or blame; his own justice is beyond appeal (Will to Power) Conscious of the important task ahead of him and the potential for greatness that is imminent, the elevated man feels a sense of reverence towards himself. And even in the presence of great suffering, he affirms life as a proud and vindicated human being, who says Yes and is certain of the future, who guarantees the future. (Ecce Homo) In contrast to these elevated men, there are the many, the herd. The herd is composed of two types: the last man and the slave. The last man is the typical mediocre man.

Struggling only for comfort and contentment, which ends up making him lazy and despicable. The last man is completely devoid of any inner creative need and blind to the higher values that make creativity possible. The slave, on the other hand, is a weak and sick human being, who suffers from himself, and is full of what Nietzsche calls resentment. A festering hatred of life generated by feelings of powerlessness in the face of an overwhelming and threatening external reality. There is among men (Nietzsche wrote) as in other species of animals an excess of defects, disease, degeneration, sickness, which they necessarily suffer; cases of success are, among men as well, always exceptions. The presence of resentment evokes the feeling of envy within the slave, and it goes towards those who do not suffer like them, the so-called elevated human beings. This envy motivates the slave to seek revenge on the elevated humans, they unite to obtain a common power, the only type of power available to the slave, and under the pretext of calling for equality, the slave tries to reduce to a more mediocre level all those higher than him, through the construction of the slave or herd morality: The morality of self-denial is the morality of decline par excellence, the fact I perish, transposed into the imperative: All of you must perish ...This unique morality that has been taught so far,

That of self-renunciation reveals the desire for an end; fundamentally denies life. (Ecce Homo) A herd morality reverses the natural values of life. The individual who is strong and independent, who achieves feelings of power spontaneously through their creative efforts and excellent health, is considered evil by the herd morality. On the other hand, all those who belong to the herd, that last mediocre man and the weak impotent slaves, the vengeful disguised as judges, are considered good. As Nietzsche writes in Ecce Homo: Finally - it is the most terrible of all - the notion of the good man defending everything that is weak, sick, flawed, who suffers from himself... contradicting the law of selection - an ideal manufactured in opposition to the proud man, who has avenged, who says Yes, who is sure of the future, who guarantees the future - and who is now called evil - And in all this, it was believed to be moral! (Ecce Homo) The herd morality is the greatest danger of dangers, because of its ability to seduce those anxious and fearful in the face of uncertainty and isolation, associated with the struggle for greatness. In the confusion of their development and desiring to rest from themselves at once... and in order to become free from what oppresses them (Will to Power) The herd morality acts as the sirens' song, offering the potential elevated man a way to escape their painful destiny.

Within the comfort of mediocrity and immersion in the masses. If herd morality becomes too effective and destroys all those who are elevated and extraordinary, nihilism will creep over the world. Without the high values embodied by the elevated man, creativity, works of astonishing beauty, and the ability to fight for ideals will be absent. Instead, the values of comfort and contentment so beloved by the masses will be worshipped as supreme values. And as a result, the herd will engulf all of humanity, and existence will be deprived of its great character. (Ecce Homo) Nietzsche's fears of such a world were exposed in a passage from the Genealogy of Morals: Today we see nothing that wants to become greater, we sense that things continue to descend, to become thinner, more pleasant, more prudent, more comfortable, more mediocre, more indifferent... And it is precisely here that the fatal fate has become... along with the fear of man, we have also lost our love for him, our reverence for him, our hopes for him, and even the will for him. The sight of man now leaves us tired - what is nihilism today if not this? - We are tired of man. (Genealogy of Morals) In an attempt to prevent future generations from succumbing to this overwhelming leveling effect, Nietzsche dedicates a significant amount of time performing his essay: Revaluation of Values with the hope of mitigating the effect of herd morality on the development of

Such revaluation of values ​​is dependent on herd morality, it is not an objective and a universal morality obligatory for all, but it is merely a kind of human morality alongside which, before which, and after which many others, above all high moralities are, or should be possible. (Beyond Good and Evil) While herd morality stubbornly says... 'I am morality, and there is no other morality besides me.' (Beyond Good and Evil) The elevated individual must realize that the herd's ideas should guide the herd, but not go beyond that. (Will to Power) He should not pay attention to herd moralities that claim the universality of their values and moral arts, but instead, discover his own superior values ​​to help him fulfill his unifying life project. In the discovery of his own superior values, the elevated man must realize that, as a highly differentiated individual, with a unique view of life, his good is his solitude. And so he should not preach or impose his elevated morality on others, as Zarathustra warned: My brother, if you possess a virtue and that virtue is yours, you have it in common with no one. Even naming it as your virtue will make it very common, if anyone should speak of it, it should be like this: This is my good; this I love; it pleases me entirely; thus alone will I be good.

I do not want her as a commandment of God; I do not desire her as a law and human necessity. (Thus Spoke Zarathustra) In Nietzsche's time, as well as in ours, there are abundant individuals who wish to pursue and destroy those who rise above the mediocre mass, masking their envies with cries for equality. These ideas may seem elitist and detestable to the vast majority of people, but for Nietzsche, these ideas were not directed towards the many: Our highest insights should - and must, he wrote - sound like madness and sometimes like crimes when heard without permission by those who do not have a predisposition and predestination for them. (Beyond Good and Evil) Nietzsche was deeply concerned with ensuring that the world remained fertile for the growth of true human excellence. He even wrote to the elevated man, asking him only to overcome the temptations of herd morality, instead of continuing on his own path to a heroic life. By doing so, he provides inspiration for future generations of potential elevated men. However, Nietzsche was not optimistic about the future being a place for the existence of elevated humans. Herd morality is a powerful beast, relying on the strength of the majority behind it. And for the past two millennia, they have waged a common war against everything that is rare, strange, privilege, the superior man, the superior soul, the superior duty, the superior responsibility.

And the abundance of creative and perfect power. (Beyond Good and Evil) The herd morality supports not only socialist ideologies, whose advocates Nietzsche called foolish and obscure socialists (Beyond Good and Evil) who wish to bring about the degeneration and diminution of the perfect herd man. (Beyond Good and Evil) Also, the numerous social justice movements that threaten to engulf the Western world with a new wave of herd morality. The aforementioned herd morality is alive and well in the modern world. We can, with Nietzsche, pose a question that he believes to be highly relevant in his time, and which remains so today: Today — is greatness possible? (Beyond Good and Evil) But apart from questioning whether true greatness is possible today, the fact that herd morality is alive and well should be a cause for concern from another angle. For the slave, despite his innocent facade displayed with his herd morality, and, clamoring for equality, does not wish to change the world for the better, but guided by resentment and envy, he seeks to obtain political and social power, with the purpose of causing destruction as compensation for his own personal inadequacies and failures. The following introspection by Nietzsche proves to be a pertinent warning to the modern world: When some men fail to achieve what they desire, they nervously exclaim, 'Let the whole world perish!'.

This repulsive emotion is the pinnacle of envy, whose implication is: If I can't have something, no one can have anything, no one can be anything! (Aurora)

Nietzsche and Morality: The Higher Man and The Herd

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Academy of Ideas

Nietzsche's View on Morality and the Elevated Human

Nietzsche criticizes the prevailing morality in the West as an anti-natural force that suppresses the instincts of life, pressuring individuals to conform to a mediocre herd mentality.

He categorizes individuals into two types: the creative geniuses and the more numerous, lesser-known elevated humans, both driven by a unifying life project and a long-term historical perspective.

Nietzsche contrasts the elevated individuals with the modern focus on short-term gratification and self-centered goals, emphasizing the lasting impact of their work beyond their own lifetimes.

The Contrast Between the Elevated Man and the Herd in Nietzsche's Philosophy

The elevated man seeks solitude and independence to achieve greatness, remaining indifferent to the opinions of the herd.

In contrast, the herd, composed of the last man and the slave, is driven by resentment and a desire to bring down those of higher status.

The slave morality is based on self-denial and aims to reduce others to a mediocre level.

Nietzsche's Warning Against Herd Morality

Nietzsche warns that herd morality denies life and reverses natural values, portraying the strong as evil and the weak as good.

He cautions that herd morality seduces the anxious and fearful, leading to the spread of mediocrity and nihilism.

Nietzsche fears that the dominance of herd morality will lead to the loss of great human values and the engulfment of humanity, resulting in a tiredness and eventual nihilism.

Nietzsche's Philosophy of Elevated Morality

Nietzsche rejects the idea of a universal morality, emphasizing the existence of multiple moralities.

He believes that the elevated individual should not impose their values on others but should focus on their own unique values and solitude.

Nietzsche's philosophy is centered on overcoming herd morality and pursuing a heroic life, but he is pessimistic about the future of elevated humans in a world dominated by the majority's strength.

The Impact of Herd Morality in the Modern World

Nietzsche criticizes socialist ideologies and social justice movements for promoting herd morality and hindering true greatness.

He warns that the slave mentality driven by resentment and envy seeks to obtain power for destructive purposes.

Nietzsche's introspection serves as a pertinent warning about the repulsive nature of envy and its potential for causing destruction in the modern world.