Single Idea 14808

[catalogued under 23. Ethics / F. Existentialism / 5. Existence-Essence]

Full Idea

If a man eighty thousand years old were conceivable, his character would in fact be absolutely variable. …The brevity of human life misleads us…

Gist of Idea

Over huge periods of time human character would change endlessly

Source

Friedrich Nietzsche (Human, All Too Human [1878], 041)

Book Reference

Nietzsche,Friedrich: 'Human, All Too Human', ed/tr. Faber,Marion [Penguin 1994], p.45


A Reaction

This would be one of my many exhibits for claiming Nietzsche as an existentialist. I think he is largely right, and we do detect slow shifts in our characters over long periods of time. They may be as much a response to culture as a personal matter.