Nietzsche’s Advice on How to Live Better
One may promise actions, but not sentiments, for these are involuntary.
The distinction between sentiments and actions is the same as between discipline and motivation. Motivation is out of your control whereas discipline is the habits that you maintain and the willingness to do something even if you don’t feel like it. It is much better to live a life guided by principled action not emotional expedience.
If we want to live consistent lives where we are in control, then we must place less emphasis on our emotions. Sometimes emotions can be useful and guiding forces, but in the day to day it is principles that will serve us better. We cannot rely on what we feel like doing as we often do not want to do what is best for ourselves. However, if we can take the time to think about what would be best for us, in an objective manner and create principles that we are willing to live our lives by, then we can start creating our ideal life. We can plan how to spend our day, how to act towards others and how to take care of ourselves. We can create principles and live by them without leaving our lives in the hands of our emotions, without leaving our lives up to chance.
He who cannot put his thoughts on ice should not enter…
