Friedrich Nietzsche was a unique philosopher of his time. He certainly came up with some controversial ideas. But some of them were simply genius.

He pioneered the concept of “herd morality” and the “herd instinct” in the 1880s, criticizing how people conform to societal norms rather than embracing individuality. He simply believed that being your unique self is too much for many to bear. They would instead fall in line with what the majority of those around them were told to believe.

He said if you follow the herd you will never find an answer to who you are without the “herd”. By following the herd, you never have to take blame for your life. If anything goes wrong, you can blame your parents, the economy or society. Living in the herd is an efficient way to live. You don’t need to think for yourself. But the consequences of following the herd are that you never discover who you were meant to be.

One of Nietzsche’s most famous quotes was:

The individual has always 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. True freedom means taking responsibility for the direction of your life.

I like that ” no price is too high to pay to own yourself“. All my life due to one thing or another, I have never wanted to be part of the herd. Years ago I came up with my mantra of life

Think for Yourself

Question Everything

Never Stop Learning

I knew that I had found my unique place in the world, and that was a very good feeling.

[I think it is time for one of my digital doodles here on “Today’s Artsy Side”]