Sickness and the Übermensch

Sick.

I got sick recently. Like, gross sick. Gunk coming out of my throat and nose, volcanic diarrhea, head swimming, headache, shooting pain – the list goes on. While I fought this gross intrusion on my daily life, it reminded me why I don't believe half of what Nietzsche said.

Naturam expellas furca,tamen usque recurret. The strong become the weak, and then the weak rule over them until they die. It happened to Nietzsche, it happened to LaVey, it will happen to everyone preaching the law of the jungle or whatever. You can be the biggest, baddest dude out there, but one day you will be sick or old or crippled or insane – maybe all at once. Those with “master morality” can end their lives hunched up in a chair while people with slave morality care for them.

This is also why I like trying to give practical advice, from Dollar Store Reaction to lifting to whatever (my next article is going to be on immunizing yourself from clown world). Nature is a thing, and nature does not care about your theories. Sure, the Nietzschean might point out that a lot of history demonstrates that the strong rule, but these same people are still human. They end up getting sick and dying.

This can be our fallen world mocking your physical might with permanent spine damage. This can be nature laughing at your mind with brain damage or Alzheimer's. It can even go against whatever sexual prowess you have with all sorts of nasty diseases. This is one of the reasons slave morality has triumphed over the masters in its twisted, leftist form – everyone ends up being one of the weak, and the weak have slaves ruling over them. Oftentimes, they join them. Even Ayn Rand ended up on Social Security.

I don't like theorizing very much, if theorizing means demanding the world live up to one's rational system. Living in your head and engaging in constant intellectual masturbation about the Übermensch will not produce any results for getting to that state. The outside world has eaten up the libertarian, the marxist, the conservative, and the Nietzschean alike. You can say I'm wrong all you want, but it's not going to stop the way things work.

Noting nature's cruelty is not going to get us anywhere either if we just stay there. How do you deal with an ugly and fallen world, waiting for your demise or the Eschaton or the singularity – whatever your beliefs are? The Dissident Right has the market cornered on encouraging guys to get fit, and we also teach community support through the Mannerbund. This is a good start, and the emphasis on each of these are consistent with our worldview; practical advice does not flow from worldview, but has an incestuous relationship with it. Both influence each other.

Minor Maladies and how to deal with them.

So what do you do when you get sick, when nature calls in the worst way? Well, I believe in good ol' American independence when it comes to getting a cold, a sprain, or any other small malady. You should wait to see a doctor if you get a cold or other minor illness.^* Doctors charge money. Even with insurance, there is still copay, pharmacy bills, etc. If you aren't dying, your money is better spent elsewhere. Going to the doctor's office wastes time if the condition is not serious. Your time is better spent elsewhere. Learning how to treat conditions on your own will yield great benefits when times come that doctors are not available to help you.^**

This also applies to over-the-counter medication. The jury's still out on whether suppressing fevers is even a good idea, and that mystery list of ingredients might mean the manufacturer made an oopsie and gets the FDA banhammer. Even if it is safe, there is a character building aspect to allowing yourself to be sick for a bit. Getting well naturally, as opposed to taking mystery chemicals with a disgusting “cherry” taste, will be good for gaining practical wisdom and the ability to function when these drugs are unavailable.

When you do get a cold, headaches, whatever, some good ways to make the process more expedient is to drink large amounts of water, to take orange juice and oatmeal (Vitamin C bolsters the immune system, fiber and water help flush everything out), and to avoid dairy in case phlegm is being overproduced. Listen to as many old wives' tales as you can, and you will not only be continuing family traditions, but you will gain at least some wisdom that you can pass on to others. This can even be “bro science” as it pertains to exercise – “Listen bro, you gotta do cardio when you get a cough, get the gunk out of your lungs,” “Bro, if the ick is neck up, you can lift; if it's chest down, just do recovery bro.”

“SuperLutheran, extra ecclesiam nulla salus, begom! Also, when should I go to the doctor's office?” Thank you for asking, particular Catholic reader. There is a great list from the Houston Methodist site on just such a thing. The basic message is “whatever you know you can't take care of on your own, should be taken care of at a hospital.” But that reveals the fundamental truth of this article; the more you can take care of, the less you will have to rely on the medical system. The more you know, the more you will be able to get to the doctor's office in time.

The Point

So let's say I'm wrong, and the Übermensch theory is correct. Okay. Take this article then as something that can spur you on to be a better Superman. Even if you disagree with my medical opinions, you can still do some study and figure it out yourself; you can make yourself a better man this way, and thus contribute to your communities and your own life, both one and many, far more effectively.

*These are my opinions, not official medical advice. Please don't sue the American Sun and make a fool of yourself just because you followed my Protestant advice and got maybe a little sicker. Seriously, some people need to grow up.

**This doesn't have to be a collapsitarian talking point – things can go south when backpacking, traveling long distances, or when pulling an all-nighter at work.