By: Gary D. Barnett
“No one can construct for you the bridge upon which precisely you must cross the stream of life, no one but you yourself alone.”
~ Friedrich Nietzsche
How can one live a meaningful, exciting, and fulfilling life of wonder and discovery, if all effort is spent seeking a master or unknown afterlife, while living every moment of this life in fear? How can one experience freedom and growth, if that life is decided through submission to some illegitimate ‘claimed’ authority, whether religious or governmental? How can one function in a world possessed by obligatory morality mandated by some dominant entity? All discipline is based on force, and force is based on violence or threat of violence. Living life strictly for the benefit of other’s wishes, needs, or demands, abandoning your individual self, can only lead to a nihilistic existence where everything of value is considered useless, where life, love, knowledge, and art are surrendered to emptiness and depression. There is a better way in my view, and that way is to love, respect, accept, and improve self. When one’s primary purpose in life is self-improvement, a will to claim power over self, and seeking knowledge, life becomes vital, more virtuous, complete, and satisfying, causing others to benefit as well from that inner power and strength displayed.
Many will scoff at this pronouncement, and will consider it selfish, but if honesty is respected, it will become clear that to own one’s self, to test inner strength, to build confidence in free and independent thought and action, to love without limit, and to achieve internal peace without restriction, can only lead to true happiness, and enhance one’s ability to be a light for others. For those who have chosen to live not for themselves, but for some ‘authority,’ whether an individual or entity that claims ownership of their mind, body, and soul, they will forever be lost. I am not a preacher or soothsayer, and never could be, not for any religion or government, and certainly not for any ideology, or promoter of any collective horde. I fully understand that each of us is unique, and an individual, whether practiced or avoided, as most aspire to do in order to be accepted by the crowd. I wish not to tell others how or what to think, as each has to come to conclusions on his own, if truth is ever to be experienced. Force and aggression, whether physical, mental, or psychological, is an immoral and worthless effort, because each and every one of us must make our own decisions if freedom and sanity are ever to exist in our lives.
Bowing to any authority whatsoever exposes and breeds only weakness and envy. Acceptance of any rule is based solely on voluntary enslavement, self-abuse, ruination of intellect, misery, and the loneliness of imprisonment among the maddening collective crowd of fools. When one gives up this life to what is considered a ‘higher power,’ regardless of the ‘basis’ of that power, waiting in agony for the ‘promise’ of some unseen and unknown future life, surrendering all while awaiting death, then this life is wasted. It should be evident if any logic and reasoning are applied, that this manner of living is not living at all.
For a considerable time during my early life, I struggled to find the single substance of existence, the proverbial meaning of life, and why things are as they appear to be on this earth. What I found was that I had wasted my time and effort attempting to know what is impossible to know. We exist, therefore we have only the choice to live and die. Since death in this world is imminent, we are left with this life to cherish. To ignore this wonder in favor of something unknown seems an empty existence to be sure, an attempted escape from reality, that reveals a frailty so acute as to be completely self-destructive.
Power is never evil when that power is over self, it is only evil when it seeks and gains power over others by force. Those who succumb to that power over them voluntarily, are not deserving of their freedom, for they have no will to live for self. The will to power over self is one of great character, but the lack of any desire of self-determination and self-responsibility, leaves open the door for only weakness and cowardice. It is no wonder that the powerful aggressors, evil though they might be, disregard the masses, when the masses expect rule and submit to that rule without resistance. When one asks; why is slavery seemingly the common theme of this life, the answer must be that of having knowingly chosen slavery instead of autonomy. Fault at this point is obvious.
The interests served by authority, at least in every sense other than self, are prejudicial to every aspect of individualism and freedom. Therefore, all interests of authority and rule of one over another are meant to control, never to assist or protect. So why then, do so many crave authority? Is this complete weakness of mind and body due to a lack of moral strength, a feebleminded malady, vulnerability, and a need for enslavement, as is seemingly the nature of the herd and a consequence of herd mentality? Why do those who seek power over others succeed in their efforts, if the natural state of man is freedom? This is quite the conundrum, given that the very few rule this entire world, while the masses of serfs do the bidding of their masters. They seek them, they choose them, they vote for them, and they place them in power above them. Is it any wonder that man’s existence is one of master and slave?
We live in a world of confusion, fear, indifference, hate, torture, surveillance, division, democide, genocide, and war. This situation is constantly worsening, with little opposition from the bulk of humanity, so where will it end? The West has been the major aggressor for the last few centuries, but now the world’s ruling class is coming together to form a global power over all. It seems we need more individuals who seek a will to power over themselves, instead of a herd of cowards awaiting their next order from their chosen masters. Maybe this is an impossible feat to accomplish given the weak character of the common man, or maybe humanity’s time is coming to a close. Does it have to be this way?
Some things are certain, and need to be addressed and accepted if sanity and a worthwhile existence are desired; that is if mankind is even capable of surviving this madness. No government will save you. No ruler will save you. No god will save you, and no church will save you. No ruler or authority of any kind will save you. The savior of man is man. Each individual has to save himself, gain power over self, and refuse to be ruled over and controlled by the evil purveyors of terror who now claim power over all of you.
Cast them out, ignore them, disobey them, banish them, destroy them. All that is necessary is power over self, strength in the face of adversity, individual integrity, non-aggression, and total disregard for the collective crowd of maniacal followers.
“The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself.”
~ Friedrich Nietzsche
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