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Posted by Adrian on 4/22/2008, 2:45 pm, in reply to "Re: What would it be like to personally meet Nietzsche???"
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Nietzsche himself (I can't remember exactly where/maybe in his letters of correspondence?)spoke of his courteous and respectful manner of trafficking with others he (through his works) naturally would have kept as great of an amount of distance away from as possible despite these 'types' being exactly what he either repeatedly belittled or lambasted (again) in his works. The late lecturer Robert Solomon also characterized Nietzsche as perhaps showing far less flair in his temperament than he did in his writings, as being a kind, gentleman. The various rhythms and intensities found in his books would probably lead one to believe that, in person, he might have been the fiery orator-type, teeming with personality and captivating eccentricities a la Salvador Dali, although, in Nietzsche's case, far more genuine, I'd imagine.
Still, I don't find it hard to fathom that he might have been acutely reserved in person as opposed to the Nietzsche portrayed in his works, most likely using all of his energy and brilliance as a means to make his thoughts radiate and not his personality, which I have little doubt he would have dismissed as being no more than affectation and pure 'show' --something better fit for 'the herd'.
--Previous Message--
: There is an excellent book on this subject
: called Conversations with Nietzsche: A Life
: in the Words of His Contemporaries, edited
: by Sander Gilman. Oxford University Press,
: USA (1991). He was your typical shy and
: reserved intellectual, though apparently
: pretty warm if you met him taking his long
: walks in the mountains. There is also an
: interesting fictional account called When
: Nietzsche Wept by Irvin D. Yalom. Nietzsche
: famously visited many doctors for his
: neuralgia, headaches, bouts of pain, etc.
: Yalom imagines Nietzsche meeting with
: Freud's mentor in Vienna, and the two of
: them "inventing" psychotherapy,
: with the doctor and patient roles reversing
: in interesting ways.
:
:
: --Previous Message--
: This is interesting. I always assumed
: Nietzsche was a bit pompous in personality
: but this may be a mischaracterization.
: Anyone else have any ideas?
:
: --Previous Message--
:
: From the tenor of his personal letters and
: the stories people around him told( Lou
: Salome for example), his personality in
: person was so kind and humble that it
: bordered on timidity. His later works sound
: pompous because his philosophy rested as
: much in his style as it was in content. I
: think he wold be an excellent speaker but
: difficult to get close to. I admire his life
: but do not aspire to live like him.
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