If humanity was able to see what fate has in store for it, people’s attitudes, behavior, and actions would be very different from what is manifested today. Humanity would have strived to prepare for such fate by attempting to influence the outcome. However, people live in a world full of uncertainties, with the only certain things, as the saying goes, being tax, and death. If an individual was to know when and how they are going to die, they would pay dearly for such information in a bid to alter the outcome (Han‐Pile, 2011). However, the inability to ascertain such aspects of life leads humanity to prepare and embrace any eventualities. Such perceptions lead to the conclusion that humanity is “ Amor fati, ” a Latin phrase translated into “love of fate.” Some aspects of life such as happiness, suffering, or loss are inevitable and must be faced.
Amor fati is employed in the description of an attitude where an individual sees everything that happens in their life regardless of their implications, to be among facts of life and existence. Simply put, amor fati characterizes the acceptance of events and situations that occur in one’s life (Han‐Pile, 2011). It is the practice of living life on its own terms and accepting and loving everything that happens. The phrase call for humility in life, but its application in reality, may elicit mixed reactions because people have different expectations from life. Nevertheless, fate is inevitable and the best humanity can do is to love it (Han‐Pile, 2011).
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However, accepting and loving fate does not take away the right to have different perspective of Amor fati. A number of philosophers have explored the concepts leading to different postulates of how life should be lived (Han‐Pile, 2011). One such philosopher of German descent is Friedrich Nietzsche, who described their formula for human greatness as amor fati. In one of the basic writings of Nietzsche, Why I am So Clever, the philosopher posits: “ My formula for greatness in a human being is amor fati: that one wants nothing to be different, not forward, not backward, not in all eternity. Not merely bear what is necessary, still less conceal it—all idealism is mendacity in the face of what is necessary—but love it” (Han‐Pile, 2011). Nietzsche assertions call for a balanced perspective towards life. The philosopher does not ask individuals to ignore some aspects of life in favor of others, but to recognize that events and situations, whether good or bad, are what make life whole.
Nietzsche observes of the need to be a “yes-sayer” only. Their argument is informed by the quest to discover what is beautiful in all things. This way the philosopher believed that they could them influence and be part of the beautification process (Han‐Pile, 2011). However, it does not end there. Nietzsche also does not want to be uncompromising in their acceptance of reality. While they seek to appreciate that which is beautiful, they do not intend to wage war against the ugly, or criticize those accusing what is ugly. The philosopher asserts the need for the good and bad in the lives of individuals to co-exist harmoniously. It goes without question that humanity has a liking for all that is good (Han‐Pile, 2011).
However, few would recognize and appreciate the bad, with the automatic reaction being its admonishment. For this reason, Nietzsche advances the spirit of acceptance, which is enshrined in the radical embrace of suffering (Han‐Pile, 2011). Nietzsche argues that suffering, which is bad, is intractably linked to the good and even though it should not be loved along with the good, but should be recognized so. The philosopher bases their claims on the significance of pain, which they argue to be the ultimate liberator of the spirit (Han‐Pile, 2011). Pain main not contribute to betterment of individuals, but it certainly makes them more profound.
Nietzsche entrenches amor fati as the stoic mindset that people take for making the best out of every scenario. From the philosopher’s perspective, the concept calls for treatment individual moments, whether challenging or not, as something to be embraced and not avoided (Han‐Pile, 2011). Once an individual recognizes that certain things are out of their control, they must resolve to face them with love and unfailing cheerfulness and strength. The concept of amor fati advanced by Nietzsche requires individuals to direct their energies, emotions, and exertions only where they have real impact. Amor fati should be a response to a situation, and such a response should not entail aspects of feeling ok or speculations of feeling good about something, but should demonstrate feeling of greatness about something because its occurrence is inevitable (Han‐Pile, 2011). The love of fate must reign supreme by appreciating that the situation indeed occurred and one can make the best out of it.
However, it is evident that Nietzsche is contradictory in their assertions about amor fati. Humans live by their choices and an individual can chose to dwell on what makes them happy while giving a wide berth to the bad things that happen in life (Han‐Pile, 2011). Contrary to the philosopher’s advocacy for loving fate with resolute and enthusiastic acceptance, humans do the opposite in most situations in their lives. Kicking and rejection of negative events in life is a common practice. Individuals do accept the natural flow of events, but spend time picking out errors, lamenting and regretting them, and wishing things could have happened differently. Nietzsche concept of a “yes sayer” is not practical under the circumstances.it is practically impossible for individuals to be uncompromising about the good and bad events in their lives (Han‐Pile, 2011). People are constantly under the quest to improve what they perceive as bad. Life is filled with the struggle to influence fate because few people are in love with it, especially in situations where the bad things dominate. However, certain situations need the wisdom driven by the philosophical view of Amor fati. It is imperative for humanity to recognize that not all battels are to be won, hence must strive to accept, embrace, and stop fighting the inevitable. Only then can they be said to follow in Nietzsche’s perspective of amor fati. Han‐Pile (2011) observed that only through understanding the motivations for loving the bad or the good can the paradoxes be resolved.
Reference
Han‐Pile, B. (2011). Nietzsche and Amor fati. European Journal of Philosophy , 19 (2), 224-261.
