Repeated lives

Zarathustra, the protagonist and mouthpiece for Nietzsche’s ideas, proclaims the notion of eternal recurrence, which is the thought experiment that asks if one would embrace living one’s life over and over in exactly the same way eternally.

“Thus I willed it” is tied to the acceptance and affirmation of one’s life and choices, embodying the principle of amor fati, or “love of one’s fate.” This phrase signifies the ultimate acceptance of one’s actions and their consequences, underlining the power of the will in shaping one’s reality and destiny. It is a declaration of autonomy and sovereignty over oneself, reflecting Nietzsche’s idea that individuals should strive to live in such a way that they could will their life to be repeated in every detail for eternity.

In the broader context of Nietzsche’s philosophy, this phrase is a celebration of life, strength, and the overcoming of challenges. It suggests that one should not only accept but also love everything that happens in life, seeing it as an essential component of one’s character and life’s journey. This concept challenges individuals to live their lives with intensity and purpose, making choices that they can affirm with the statement “Thus I willed it,” even in the face of eternal recurrence.

This experiment asks individuals to consider their actions and choices as if they were to live a thousand different lives, each time with the goal of achieving success (however one defines it). The core idea is to identify and adopt strategies, habits, and philosophies that would consistently lead to a successful outcome in the vast majority of those lives, regardless of the specific circumstances or challenges presented in each.

Naval’s viewpoint reflects a deep understanding of probability and the importance of making decisions that have positive expected outcomes over many trials. By contemplating how one might maximize success across a vast number of hypothetical lives, he suggests striving for strategies and values that are robust and versatile, rather than optimizing for niche conditions that might only apply once. This means cultivating traits like curiosity, integrity, and generosity, which are likely to lead to success in a wide variety of situations, rather than focusing too narrowly on goals that might only pay off under specific, unlikely conditions.

In essence, this philosophy encourages a focus on building a broad base of skills, fostering deep relationships, and maintaining a flexible, growth-oriented mindset. It’s about making choices that don’t just serve immediate goals but also contribute to a foundation of habits, knowledge, and character that would likely lead to a fulfilling and successful life under nearly any circumstances one might find themselves in.

This thought experiment is rooted in several philosophical and practical concepts:

1. Universality and Resilience: It promotes the adoption of skills, values, and behaviors that are universally beneficial. These are qualities that would serve a person well in almost any situation, culture, or era, making them resilient to changes in external conditions.
2. Long-term Thinking: By focusing on a multitude of lives across different scenarios, it encourages long-term thinking and discourages short-term, reactionary decision-making. This aligns with the idea of considering the long-term impact of one’s actions and making choices that are sustainable and beneficial over time.
3. Expected Value Decision Making: This concept from probability and statistics involves making decisions that are expected to offer the best outcome when considering all possible scenarios. By aiming to maximize success across many lives, one is essentially looking for strategies with the highest expected value in terms of life satisfaction, achievement, and personal growth.
4. Amor Fati and Versatility: Similar to Nietzsche’s concept of amor fati, or “love of one’s fate,” this thought experiment encourages individuals to develop attitudes and capabilities that allow them to embrace and thrive in any situation. It’s about cultivating a versatile character that can find success and fulfillment under a wide range of circumstances.
5. Focus on Fundamental Human Values: Implicit in this experiment is the idea that certain values and qualities, such as integrity, kindness, curiosity, and resilience, have enduring worth across different life contexts. It suggests that focusing on these fundamental human values is a reliable path to success.