Friedrich Nietzsche is famous for espousing a philosophy that may be a help in wrestling with existential angst and finding meaning in life.
My guest would say that Nietzsche’s philosophy may also be useful for figuring out something else: how to have a healthy relationship with modern technology. His name is Nate Anderson and he’s the author of In Emergency, Break Glass: What Nietzsche Can Teach Us About Joyful Living in a Tech-Saturated World. Today on the show, Nate, who’s a deputy editor at the website Ars Technica, shares how someone who grew up loving technology and has spent his career writing about it, reached a point where he felt disenchanted with its effects on his life, and why he turned to the philosophy of Friedrich Nietzsche for insights on how to approach tech more fruitfully. We then turn to the way tech has made life too safe, easy, and frictionless, and how Nietzschean goals, asceticism, and creative, self-overcoming exertion can help us find deeper fulfillment. Nate unpacks four Nietzsche-inspired guidelines for information consumption, the importance of the physical body in thinking and feeling, and our need to embrace greater Dionysian energy and perhaps live a bit more dangerously.
Resources Related to the PodcastListen to the episode on a separate page.
Download this episode.
Subscribe to the podcast in the media player of your choice.
Listen ad-free on Stitcher Premium; get a free month when you use code “manliness” at checkout.
Podcast SponsorsClick here to see a full list of our podcast sponsors.
Transcript Coming SoonHow Power Corrupts
Set Your Kids Up for a Lifetime of Healthy Sleep
Kierkegaard on the Present (Passionless) Age
Become a Backyard Adventurer
The Dangers of "Concept Creep"
Run Like a Pro (Even If You're Slow)
The Writing Life of Ernest Hemingway
The Dreams That Precede Death
The Secrets to Making the Perfect Pizza
How Eisenhower Led — A Conversation with Ike's Granddaughter
Developing Your Personal Uniform
Anxiety Is a Habit — Here's How to Break It
Beyond OODA — Developing the Orientation for Conflict and Violence
Declutter, Downsize, and Move Forward with Your Life
The World of the Transcendentalists and the Rise of Modern Individualism
A Playbook for Modern Dating
Becoming a Hybrid Athlete
How to Shift Out of the Midlife Malaise
We Need a P.E. Revolution
How to Make Life’s Big Decisions
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
Hidden Brain