America, a land known for it's "rugged individuality" is a place on the verge of collapse. Everyone has their own opinion about what we should do next, but we are so splintered that it almost seems laughable to imagine us joining together in unity. You might wonder why that is- as I often do. Then I find the answer, unmistakeable and unpleasantly obvious "rugged individualism" has become another phrase for "over-inflated ego worship". America is not a true capital of "rugged individualism" it is a consumer base where what we buy defines who we are, this includes ideas as well as consumer goods.
We are so busy trying to label ourselves as "unique" that we fail to achieve any level of uniqueness. I think this is because our splintered populace does not realize how similar we are to each other. A conservative is the same as a liberal if both simply froth at the mouth and repeat the libel spread by their leaders. They might think that they alone have the answer, but they couldn't be farther from the truth, because they fail to acknowledge the other side. They might say, "Well if there was no opposition from the other side, we could put this idea into motion." They never think to ask, "Why is there opposition to this idea?" Their failure to ask shows that they are incapable of truly looking at the whole, and seeing the situation as it really is. And because they are not actively thinking as they espouse their "truths" it becomes blatantly obvious that their whole designation with whatever opinion they hold near and dear to their hearts is only a guise, it's an excuse to feel important, it's a way to worship their own egos. Ego worship is the number one killer in America. It kills thought, it kills conversation, it kills friendships and community, all in one biting blow. As soon as people don the mask of righteousness, they stop being a true Individual- which is what America is supposed to be all about. America is supposed to be a land dedicated to free-thinking people, instead America is a land dictated by gimmicky golems and false figureheads.
Now, I want to clarify, just because I have explained the downfalls of ego worship does not mean that I propose that Americans give up all ideas of individuality in following with some Eastern traditions. No, in fact, what I hope will happen is that people here in America can forgo these titles that give them titular status awards, and instead become Supermen, in the sense that Thought be their guiding light and individuality rewarded as a result of that Thought, and not vice-versa. Too many of these political parties have become status clubs, where membership is passed down from generation to generation, and not because the ideas of that party are worthy in any regard. Now let me introduce a source of divine inspiration.
Nietsche
Nietzsche was a complex man, often misunderstood by the masses. Part of the reason that I want to address him and his work is because I think that his ideas can colorfully illustrate the points I have made in the introduction to this article. It has been said that although Nietzsche was an atheist, he was much closer to God than many of his contemporaries. He was an idealistic pragmatist. He wanted to save only the ideas and concepts that worked- he did not want to tarry and save the ideas that were already tarnished and decomposing. He wanted to create a world where people were not chained to their lower selves- their ego worshipping selves, where instead people were truly revolutionary- because their actions were purposeful and philosophical, instead of just merely paradoxical. In another article I hope to address this paradoxical nature that seems to currently encumber humanity.
One of the concepts that Nietzsche intuitively understood was the idea of Sin for Salvation- doing the right thing regardless of what others say. I want to go one step further and say that the first step on the path to intellectualism is to Rebel, to Sin for Salvation, to think independently. By the act of independent thought one has proven that one can think. In America, our much touted idea of radical individualism has not helped us to develop new philosophies or ideas, instead it has lead to inflated ego and ridiculous levels of self-absorption. We are now at a crisis where as a country we must begin to try new ways of thought, we must begin to slough off our much praised way of "rugged individualism" in exchange for communities committed to change, to thought, to Progress. We are so divided, that it seems as a nation, that we have been conquered by forces like the Media, by overbearing Archetypes & slavery to our self-image. The truth is that we have become stagnant. We offer nothing new to the table, which is why we are a waning country on the verge of collapse. We must remember that we individuals capable of thought must never be reduced to one singular archetype, that all of the archetypes are within us. We need to move past all preconceived notions of self and into something Real and Tangible.
Our Higher Self, our Superman must be what we conceptualize.
When Nietzsche says, "Let me show you the Superman, man is to be surpassed," what Nietzsche means is that we must surpass all of our temptations to act out of ego, to play a role, to subconsciously act out an archetype. The truth is, of course, that man must be understood before he can be surpassed and transformed into the radical Superman. Otherwise he will be repressed and that repression will lead to subconscious expression. Our higher self, our Superman must be what we conceptualize. This comes back to Independent Thought, or "our first act of rebellion" which is to create a vision of our higher self. If we do not work to create this vision, then we are still living in the vision that others created for us. So, by destroying our super-imposed identity, we rebel.
Our super-imposed identity is created by our family, by the media, by education, by class. The first thing that we must do is make a list of every title that has been created for us and fully question it: democrat vs. republican, student vs. teacher, mother vs. destroyer, all of these titles represent one half of a duality- they are polar in nature. There is a great quote from P.D. Ouspensky, a famous occultist and author, who explains this concept very lucidly,
"For as long as the individual soul does not free itself from Nescience, or a belief in duality, it takes something else for itself. True knowledge of the Self or true self-knowledge, expresses itself in the words, "Thou art That" or "I am Brahman," the nature of Brahman being unchangeable eternal cognition. Until that stage has been reached, the individual soul has been fettered by the body, by the organs of sense, nay even by the mind and its various functions."
If we refuse to question these roles, then we will become a cold and lusterless shell, like the main character in Kafka's "The Metamorphosis" who could only be the working son, able to be nothing more, he was turned into a giant bug. When we only do what others tell us to do, or infer that we should do, then we are not worthy of a life where we are in control. If a man in charge of a nuclear missile did only what others told him to, would he fire that missile for an unworthy cause? The answer is yes. That is why authority must be questioned, because in a sense we are all dangerous weapons, and unfortunately, more often than not, because of the mechanisms of society and the labels that are created, we are our own worst enemy, and often work against ourselves.
The definition of the Superman is, someone who has attained Supreme Awareness, and understands the nature of reality. When we choose to commit that first act of Rebellion, or Independent Thought, we make a promise to ourselves to seek Truth, to see Reality as it really is, instead of how we would prefer to see it. When one attains self awareness, one is no longer innocent. We are compelled to Act, and even willfully choose to make mistakes or act against the grain, or outside of a political party. We need to be able to challenge our leaders, or to call them out when they make mistakes. Our passivity only leads to our own ruin. We must claim our own fortune and become enactors of our own Destiny.
If we live our lives in the shadow of someone else's greatness, then we never achieve our own greatness. We must claim our own fortune, and be enactors of our own destiny. Once we can see ourselves as we truly are communities will flourish, and ideas will again be bountiful. Many people seem hesitant to take this step, Nietzsche refers to those people as lowlanders, people who refuse to accept change, because they do not want to Learn and take up Responsibility. It is always frightening to question what you were brought up believing, but by changing our beliefs we can transform the World.
I challenge you to become a Superman.
