Getting Fit with Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (October 15, 1844 – August 25, 1900) (IPA: [ˈfʁiːtʁɪç ˈniːtʃə]) was a German philosopher. His writing included critiques of religion, morality, contemporary culture, philosophy, and science. His style of writing was distinctive, displaying a fondness for aphorism and paradox. Nietzsche’s influence remains substantial within and beyond philosophy, notably in existentialism and postmodernism.
“To forget one’s purpose is the commonest form of stupidity.”
Keep your eyes on the prize. Exercising or dieting aimlessly leads nowhere. This is because if you’re not after any specific result, you’ll never achieve any specific result. Set goals and milestones for yourself. When you reach them, it will invigorate your determination and motivate you to continue onward. It’s also a good way to know when to reward yourself, and have it be a meaningful experience, instead of a guilty pleasure. The best way I’ve found to go about this is to sign up for something. Whether it’s a 5k walk/run or a triathlon, setting a goal and reaching it is the best way to keep yourself motivated.
“Insanity in individuals is something rare - but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule.”
Beware the fad diet/product/pill/infomercial. If it sounds too good to be true, it probably is. And popularity is not a measure of effectiveness. Just about the only thing you need to know about health can be summed up like this: move around, eat some food, not too much. Anyone making it more complicated than that is trying to sell you something.
“But thus do I counsel you, my friends: distrust all in whom the impulse to punish is powerful!”
Don’t beat yourself up. If you miss a day of your routine or cheat on your diet, don’t agonize and over-analyze. Self-inflicted punishment is a vicious circle. If you get off track, get back on ASAP. And when you accomplish something important, reward yourself. Think positive reenforcement.
“The visionary lies to himself, the liar only to others.”
There’s something to be said about the power of positive thinking. It’s OK to tell little white lies to yourself in a non-destructive way. Building confidence is just like building muscle, it takes practice and time. Giving yourself a boost by having your inner monologue say, “You can do it”, even when you feel like you can’t, may feel cheesy, but it will work wonders for your personal development and mental well being. You’d be surprised what you can accomplish when you just refuse to believe that you cannot.
“If you gaze for long into an abyss, the abyss gazes also into you.”
Do not start a fight over the free weights with steroid-raging-No-Fear-T-shirt-guy. He will kill you with a medicine ball and curl you’re dead-weight.
Related: Getting Fit Like Aristotle
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POSTED IN: How To, Philosophy, Your Mind
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