Would Nietzche Tweet?

(note: I am taking some time reading small doses of Nietzche along with Kauffman's work about him- it has been an interesting exercise, and though I believe Nietz and I would have very little common ground, I do find I am becoming appreciative of him and more empathetic of his pain and suffering... and misunderstanding. I have been thinking, "Would we have been friends?" and then today."If he were alive today, would he be a blogger?, would he tweet?, would he become an influencer?" or would he have thought it all rubbish?)

I came across a line from Nietzsche (through Kaufmann) that has stayed with me:

“The thinker who believes in the ultimate truth of his system, without questioning its presuppositions… refuses to think beyond a certain point.”

In my simple terms, "What happens to us if he have such a high opinion of our opinion that it isn't open for skepticism?"

This feels especially relevant today. We live in a culture where people not only hold strong opinions, but often have elevated confidence in 'our truth'. At the same time, the systems around us—especially digital algorithms—reinforce this confidence. They present us with fragments of information that confirm what we already believe, connect us with others who think the same way, and gradually form small, self-reinforcing circles of agreement.

There have been more than a few times in recent years that I have read commentary about a topic with a deadline answer- for example an election. As we got closer and closer to the 2024 election, I looked at my wife and said "Somebody is about to be shocked to see how wrong they were" because both sides were predicting lopsided wins, all fueled by their sphere of influence that feels SO large but is much smaller than advertised.

Over time, this can make our beliefs feel less like something we have examined and more like something that is simply true by default.

Nietzsche describes this as a subtle kind of corruption—not because having a framework or system is wrong, but because refusing to question it is. The problem is not conviction itself, but the loss of self-examination.

(I realize this was one of his raging attacks on traditional religious belief, but I'd rather deal with this as a general rule for now and I'm predicting a defense of my faith at some point down the road..but it has to come as I know the arguments better.)

There seems to be a healthier process available to us. This is a better process......

We begin with an idea and hold it with some degree of humility, even skepticism. We then bring it into the “marketplace of ideas,” where it is tested. Not all feedback is helpful or constructive, but some of it sharpens us. Over time, we find others who are willing to think alongside us—collaborators rather than echo chambers. If we want to avoid what Nietzsche warns against, we must resist the urge to treat our system as final. Instead, we remain willing to revise it, or even see it dismantled entirely. There is less to fear in that than we might assume. In many cases, the shared process of refining ideas together is more valuable than the system we began with. It also helps move us out of the isolation of our own thinking.

This raises a useful standard for all of us: to hold our beliefs with a degree of humility and self-suspicion. That does not mean abandoning what we believe, but it does mean asking honest questions about it. What assumptions am I making? Where might I be overlooking something? Have I stopped examining this because it feels settled?

The real danger is not simply being wrong. It is becoming unable to recognize the possibility that we might be.

As a side thought, it is interesting to consider how Nietzsche would respond to modern communication platforms. His style—short, sharp, provocative—might fit well in a format like social media. However, he would likely be skeptical of the environment itself. These platforms tend to reward certainty, speed, and reaction, rather than careful reflection and sustained thinking.

This creates a tension in our current moment. We have more opportunities than ever to express what we think, but fewer habits that encourage us to examine it deeply.

That is a pattern worth paying attention to. I'm going to keep reading- it is a SLOW process, I can only take him in very small chunks and have to back up and catch up on terms and people he alludes to.

I'll close with a few catchy aphorisms from this interesting man:

From' Thus Spake Zarathustra":

Then thou carriedst thine ashes into the mountains: wilt thou now carry thy fire into the valleys?

Man is something that is to be surpassed. What have ye done to surpass man?

All beings hitherto have created something beyond themselves: and ye want to be the ebb of that great tide, and would rather go back to the beast than surpass man?

What is the ape to man? A laughing-stock, a thing of shame. And just the same shall man be to the Superman: a laughing-stock, a thing of shame.