[One Thousand Characters a Day] Reading Nietzsche at Forty<3> - This Moment, This Place

Editor's NoteAsia Economy provides daily 1,000-character transcription content for readers of the 'One Day Ten Thousand Characters' newsletter. The transcription content is carefully selected according to daily and monthly themes from Eastern and Western classics, Korean literature, famous columns, and notable speeches. Today, we introduce a part of ＜Nietzsche to Read at Forty＞ written by Jang Jae-hyung, head of the Serendipity Humanities Research Institute. In Nietzsche's ＜Thus Spoke Zarathustra＞, Zarathustra tells a dwarf to look at the path crossing the castle gate labeled 'moment.' Behind the gate lies the alley of the past, and in front of the gate lies the alley of the future. We stand at the point where the past and present intersect. Through this story, Nietzsche emphasizes that "this very moment in our life happens only once." The text contains 536 characters.

All things pass, and all things return. The wheel of existence rolls forever. All things die, and all things bloom again. The years of existence flow eternally.

All things break, and all things are newly connected. The same house of existence is built forever.

＜Thus Spoke Zarathustra＞

The place where we actually exist is neither the past nor the future. It is 'this very moment, this very place.' Every living human cannot escape this earth. We cannot exist anywhere other than this moment. Therefore, Nietzsche said, "Love this earth." The past and future are determined by the present moment. Whether the eternal repetition of the same form becomes a curse or a blessing is decided by this moment. Therefore, if you do not waste this moment, you cannot turn life back to the past, but you can change it. In other words, your destiny can change. If you truly want to change your fate, you must focus on and be faithful to the present moment. When you exist in this very moment, fate truly comes alive and moves.

- Jang Jae-hyung, ＜Nietzsche to Read at Forty＞, Yuno Books, 16,000 KRW