A Quote on Herd Mentality

I don’t agree with everything Nietzsche has to say, in this my first perusal of his writings, but the following quote, I find to be of some import.

“The highest and strongest drives, when then break out passionately and drive the individual far above the average and the flats of the herd conscience, wreck the self-confidence of the community, its faith in itself, and it is as if its spine snapped.  Hence just these drives are branded and slandered most.  High and independent spirituality, the will to stand alone, even a powerful reason are experienced as dangers; everything that elevates an individual above the herd and intimidates the neighbor is henceforth called evil; and the fair, modest, submissive, conforming mentality, the mediocrity of desires attains moral designations and honors.  Eventually, under very peaceful conditions, the opportunity and necessity for educating one’s feelings to severity and hardness is lacking more and more; and every severity, even in justice, begins to disturb the conscience; any high and hard nobility and self-reliance is almost felt to be an insult and arouses mistrust; the “lamb,” even more the “sheep,” gains in respect.

There is a point in the history of society when it becomes so pathologically soft and tender that among other things it sides even with those who harm it, criminals, and does this quite seriously and honestly.  Punishing some seems unfair to it, and it is certain that imagining “punishment” and “being supposed to punish” hurts it, arouses fear in it.  “Is it not enough to render him undangerous? Why still punish?  Punishing itself is terrible.” With this question, herd morality, the morality of timidity, draws its ultimate consequence.  Supposing one could altogether abolish danger, the reason for fear, this morality would be abolished, too, eo ipso: it would no longer be needed, it would no longer consider itself necessary.”

Friedrich Nietzsche, Basic Writings of Nietzsche, Edited and Translated by Walter Kaufmann, Beyond Good and Evil, Part V, Natural History of Morals, section 201, pgs. 303-304

Posted by on 05/21 at 08:27 AM

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