Blogging Nietzsche—Nietzsche's Poetry: "Worldly Wisdom"

One of my favorite short poems by Nietzsche is “Worldly Wisdom” (Nietzsche, The Gay Science, ‘Joke, Cunning, and Revenge’: Prelude in German Rhymes, No. 6):

6. Worldly Wisdom

Stay not where the lowlands are!
Climb not into the sky!
The world looks best by far
when viewed from halfway high.

True to form, Nietzsche reminds us in the title “Worldly Wisdom” that real wisdom is earthly—not abstract, ethereal, or heavenly, but something to be found here on Earth in our embodied, physical, authentic selves.

In the first line—“Stay not where the lowlands are!”—Nietzsche emphasizes the dangers of lurking in the safety of the lowlands of life, the comfortable valleys and shelters that sometimes keep us from moving and pushing forward, and that keep us from setting our sights higher than our present circumstances and stations in life. Remaining in the metaphorical lowlands of life is usually fear-based—why else do people seek out the lowlands but to provide shelter from the winds and from the onslaught and dangers of life’s metaphorical invaders? But staying in the lowlands will never let you experience the highs and the accomplishments in life—and it will keep you from being your most fully and authentically developed self.

In the second line, however—”Climb not into the sky!”—Nietzsche admonishes us not to seek escape in the comfort of the sky or in the heavens—in any form of religious, metaphysical, or philosophical escapism. Religious escapism is, for Nietzsche, just as reactionary and fear-based as remaining in the lowlands. After all, if you remain in the lowlands but look past the mountains and ahead into the sky, you may never get moving on your journey up the mountain in front of you; you may never truly face the challenges—or taste the successes of overcoming those challenges.

In lines three and four—”The world looks best by far when viewed from halfway high”—Nietzsche emphases that the sweet spot of life is neither remaining in the safety of the lowlands nor escaping into a fictional, religious heaven. Instead, the summit of the mountaintops is the place to be—achieving your own freely chosen goals and purpose after the struggle of the climb, and after overcoming whatever earthly obstacles lie in your path to the summit.

So whatever your station in life, don’t be content in the safety and comfort of the familiar lowlands, protected by mountains you never really intend to climb. And don’t seek refuge in some intangible, ethereal, pie-in-the-sky or religious daydream. Put one foot in front of the other and start climbing up the slopes of the mountainsides that will lead you where you want to be in life—something only you can determine and decide for yourself.

And especially don’t wallow in the lowlands of your life if those lowlands aren’t fulfilling for you—if they don’t even provide genuine comfort and shelter as lowlands are supposed to do—if they are really the murky backwaters of your life. So many people aren’t even satisfied or content with their own circumstances—they just passively accept their fate and their day-to-day life as if it’s the only path ahead. So again, look to the mountaintops of life and set out on your journey. Just don’t overshoot it by looking to the heavens instead of to the earthly summits on which you’ve set your sights. Most importantly, put one foot in front of the other and start your ascent, no matter what obstacles or fears you encounter along the way.

For Further Reading:

• The Gay Science by Friedrich Nietzsche