[One Thousand Characters a Day] Reading Nietzsche at Forty<4> - Life Is a Roller Coaster

Editor's NoteAround the age of forty, we inevitably blame or curse our fate due to unfortunate events such as job loss, heartbreak, failure, or divorce. Sometimes, without a clear life goal, we fall into lethargy or boredom. However, there is neither eternal ascent nor eternal decline in our lives. We just need to move forward at a pace that suits ourselves.
If you are around the same age and in a similar situation, let's meet Nietzsche, who, while acknowledging reality and limits, sought to lead life proactively. The words drawn from his philosophy will provide great comfort and courage, and at the turning point of life, you will gain the momentum to move in a better direction. Word count: 567.

Humans cannot help but hate their endlessly declining selves. However, Nietzsche says that even in the hatred of a fallen self, there is thrill, caution, profundity, and foresight. Our always insufficient and difficult lives can be reborn as beautiful art. To do so, one must despise their ugly life to move again toward a beautiful life. Every downfall is a moment of new opportunity, rising with beauty and allowing us to dream of another life.

How well can you align with the flow of life? Our lives are a series of ups and downs. That is why life is often compared to a roller coaster. But our emotions are the exact opposite of a roller coaster. While a roller coaster offers the greatest thrill when it descends after ascending, life’s roller coaster brings great frustration when it descends after ascending.

Dissatisfaction and hatred toward the current life lead us to pursue another life. Decline is the growing pain of change. Without descent in life, there is no achievement. At the lowest point in life, we must have ambition. Only then can we rise again. There is no need to be disappointed when we fall again from the highest point in life. The opportunity for us to grow again will surely come.

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