Blogging Nietzsche—Nietzsche's Poetry: "Vademecum — Vadetecum"

As a philologist well-versed in ancient languages, Nietzsche sometimes playfully employed Latin or Greek within his work for the desired philosophical or poetic effect. Such is the case in the title of his poem “Vademecum — Vadetecum” (Nietzsche, The Gay Science, ‘Joke, Cunning, and Revenge’: Prelude in German Rhymes, No. 7):

7. Vademecum — Vadetecum

My way and language speak to you,
you follow me, pursue me too?
To thine own self and way be true:
Thus follow me, but gently do!

The title of this poem is a clever play on the Latin phrase “Vademecum,” which means “go with me.” The second word in the title, “Vadetecum” is a thoroughly Nietzschean modification of this phrase: “Go with yourself.” (The word “me” within “Vademecum” is Latin for “myself,” and “te” within “Vadetecum” is Latin for “you” or “yourself.”)

Individualism and personal authenticity are at the core of Nietzsche’s philosophy. For this reason, many people have been inspired by Nietzsche’s writings (as I am) to follow him in seeking out the most authentic path for themselves and their own lives. Nietzsche’s rebelliousness and his irreverence have inspired generations of thinkers now, from Nietzsche’s time to ours, to break with the intellectual and moral herd.

Equally important for Nietzsche is the rejection of any and all herd-like behavior and a herd-like mindset. This is clearly evident in Nietzsche’s critique of Western / Judeo-Christian morality, in his critique of the Western philosophical tradition in general from Socrates and Plato onward, and in his critique of the averaging quality of contemporary education and culture—whether German education and culture in Nietzsche’s time or our own American educational system and culture today. Nietzsche abhors averageness and wants everyone to strive to be an übermensch, a fully authentic, highly individualistic, and creative self who purposefully and intentionally breaks with the herd to be the author of his or her own life.

So what is the meaning of this clever play on Latin words in the title of this poem? It is not enough merely to be a follower of Nietzsche, however inspiring you or I may find his work, his thoughts, his spirit, or his writings. Nietzsche is admonishing us not merely to follow him or his path, but to follow yourself and forge your own path—to blaze your own trail (intellectual, metaphorical, or literal), to embrace your own subjective interpretations of things, to find your own meaning in and meaning of life, to artistically create your own works of art and even your own life story, to purposefully step away from the herd at every opportunity, and to be fully and completely your own individual.

So what does it mean to “go with yourself”? It could mean to choose your own path in life—to freely select the direction of your own life by the various choices you make. More importantly, however, it also means to find and create your own meaningfulness and interpretations in life—not merely to accept the meaning or purpose or values that you have received or inherited from your culture, your family, your religion, or your education at face value—to find, determine, and create these values for yourself in ways that are novel and ways that could come only from you.

Although Nietzsche’s admonition not merely to follow him, but to follow yourself, is ostensibly aimed at those who would follow Nietzsche, the takeaway from Nietzsche’s warning is much broader in scope. The same warning applies to anyone whose path you may choose to follow: Jesus, Muhammad, Buddha, the Dalai Lama, Gandhi, your own parents or other family members, your teachers, your community or religious leaders, politicians, and any other role models you may have and look up to. Any time you find yourself seeking to emulate someone else and follow in his or her footsteps, you are in danger of becoming herd-like, of being a passive follower instead of being a strong individual forging your own path and seeking your own way of looking at things.

So heed Nietzsche’s clever Latin advice: “Vadetecum”—”go with yourself.” Don’t merely be a follower of anyone else. Be your own individual and don’t live anyone else’s life. If you do choose to follow anyone else, Nietzsche or otherwise, do so only gently (as Nietzsche says) and tentatively, perhaps only for a while, and never at the expense of your own authentic self.

For Further Reading:

• The Gay Science by Friedrich Nietzsche