Friedrich Nietzsche, a name that is synonymous with the infamous phrase “God is Dead,” was one of the most influential thinkers of modern day thought. Nietzsche did not actually believe that God was dead; he was an atheist. What he meant by the controversial statement was that the search for God was dead. No one was actually seeking to find who or what God was. I do not agree with a lot of what Nietzsche wrote, taught or believed; however, I do think that there is an element of Nietzsche’s thought that we can all use.
I can expect one thing to happen everyday: complaining. Someone is tired; or someone does not want to study; or someone has had a bad day. I know that I am guilty of this as well; we all are. I know that we are in a recession and that there are economic hardships that are affecting some more than others. Nietzsche would suggest that the world is just a crazy series of events that are unpredictable. We do not know why things happen and we probably can’t explain them when they do.
Instead of turning our backs on this world and simply trying to exist, we should embrace the challenges and use them as motivators.
Five years ago, Hurricane Katrina devastated New Orleans. The Saints played in, and won, the Super Bowl, but all I have heard the past few weeks is how bad Katrina was. Katrina was a terrible event, but it’s in the past. Instead of harping on the tragedy, the media should be focused on looking forward. We should remember those who lost their lives, but it is impossible to make positive forward progress by focusing on the negative. I doubt the people of New Orleans only want their home to be known as the place that Katrina destroyed.
In my experience, there is not a greater motivator than someone saying, “You do not have the ability to do that.” The world can be a terrible place and there are challenges that we all face everyday, but we as Americans have greater opportunities for success. We often take these opportunities for granted. As college students, we already have an advantage and privilege that many people are denied. Instead of being concerned and worried about petty things, we should be motivated to accomplish much more.
We are animals, but we are social and political animals. Animals in nature strive to exist; we have intellect and reason that can guide us to bigger and better accomplishments.
Many of us do not know our place in the world right now; we are in a transitional phase between our last leg of academic study and what our parents refer to as “the real world.” If you think it is tough having to study or doing homework, just imagine the hardships that await you the day after graduation. If we can learn to embrace the stresses and hardships now, it will be much easier to cope when they are on a much larger scale.
Ambition is a great thing, but in order to accomplish what we set out to do, challenges must be overcome. Look at the great leaders and heroes of America. If they had just simply put their tails between their legs, America would not be the great country that it is today. No matter what tribulation you are facing, chances are there is something that you and only you can do about it. Make decisions, follow through with them, reap the successes or learn from your mistakes; either way you will be guaranteed to be a better person for it.
You have two options: take the bull by its horns or get trampled in the pasture.