TEMPLATE PERSONALITIES:

WHAT ARE THEY AND WHY DO WE NEED THEM?

A good while ago, while residing in the lovely southern city of Savannah, Georgia. I was engaged in a healthy but intense debate with a friend over the ideas and work of Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche.

Most of us know of the subversive, combative German philosopher through his well-worn, somewhat platitudinous catchphrases such as:

“That which does not kill us makes us stronger.”

and

“He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.”

Strong words, right?

Bold and inspiring, true?

Well, the thing about this particular encounter, the question being debated was Nietzsche’s worthiness to teach what he had taught.

“Why give credence to anything Nietzsche has to say,” my friend demanded, “especially when he clearly couldn’t practice what he was preaching?”

This was a valid point, of course.

“I mean,” my friend pressed, “how can Nietzsche be taken seriously with all his talk about becoming the Ubermensch, especially considering all the self-overcoming and indomitable will to power this type of being implied?”

I hesitated, so he continued, lambasting Nietzsche even more vigorously.

“Nietzsche was plagued with chronic pain, diseases like syphilis, and prone to suicidal ideation his entire life. He completely lost his sanity by the time he’d reached his mid-forties. How is this supposed to inspire confidence in his ideas?”

I would like to claim that I had fired back a lucid…