Personal Growth: Nietzsche's Three Stages for Authenticity
Feb 6
2 min read
0
3
0
The Camel, the Lion, and the Child
I have been reading essays by Guy Tal, a photographer and writer. In his latest book of essays, he referred to three stages of personal growth as described by Nietzsche for living an authentic life. Nietzsche described the three stages as the attitudes of a camel, a lion, or a child.
Most people go through life with the attitude of the camel. Camels, strong and hard working, kneel down wanting to be loaded down. Burdens are accepted willingly and without question. A camel does not seek greater freedom, but simply wishes to be of service without rocking the boat. Some camels, when alone, yearn for greater freedom. These few may find withing themselves the courage to evolve into lions.
Lions savor freedom and liberation. To find that liberty and freedom, they find a need to confront the dreaded “Should” (and its antithesis “Should Not.” The attitude of the lion is found in writings of rebel thinkers. The lions may antagonize others of the norm. They choose to live authentically. Lions who overcome the “Should” or “Should Not” find the path to becoming the child.
The child is creative, open to experiences, willing to try new things simply because they are interesting. The child will reach for anything exciting, interesting, and beautiful without worrying about what others think. The trick is to resist conformity and seek your own direction.
This simple summary of Nietzsche’s thoughts are explained in “Be Extraordinary” by Guy Tal. I hope you will enjoy his essays as much as I.
M. Alden Phillips
#AmWriting #writerslife #writingcommunity #mAldenPhillips
#authenticitymatters, #nietscheinspiration #philosophyforwriters
