Nietzsche isn’t exactly the guy you’d expect to hand out life advice with a smile and a pat on the back, but in Thus Spoke Zarathustra, he throws us a curveball: dance. And not the kind of dance where you’re trying to nail some TikTok routine. Nietzsche’s dance is a metaphor—yes, we’re going there—for how we should move through life, especially when it starts feeling absurd (which, let’s be honest, it often does).
Before you roll your eyes at another philosophical metaphor, let’s break it down. Life can get chaotic. You’ve got deadlines, relationships, existential dread creeping up in the middle of the night. You could fight it, overthink it, or try to control it all (good luck with that), or you could take Nietzsche’s advice and, well, dance with it.
Dancing here isn’t about graceful pirouettes; it’s about letting go of the need to understand or control everything. Life’s absurdities aren’t going anywhere. So why not move through them with a little lightness? It’s like that time you made a meticulous 5-year plan and then life laughed in your face—yeah, we’ve all been there.
Dancing with Absurdity in Real Life
Now, you might be wondering how exactly you’re supposed to dance with life’s chaos. Let’s look at some modern examples:
- The Daily Commute: Whether you’re stuck in traffic or sandwiched between two strangers on the train, you can either stew in frustration or accept the absurdity of it all. Maybe even pop in your earbuds and listen to a podcast about philosophy (like Nietzsche’s own, naturally). That commute isn’t changing, but how you move through it can.
- Workplace Shenanigans: You’ve prepared a killer presentation only for the Wi-Fi to go down, or your boss decides to rework the entire project at the last minute. Instead of sinking into despair or firing off passive-aggressive emails, try to see the humor in the situation. Laugh it off, roll with the changes, and maybe even keep a mental tally of how many absurd curveballs you’ve dodged this week.
- Technology Failures: How about that moment when your phone decides to restart itself just as you’re navigating somewhere important? Instead of throwing it across the room, recognize the absurdity, breathe, and adjust. Technology, like life, will fail you—dancing through these moments is about embracing the unpredictability without losing your cool.
What Would Nietzsche Do?
At the core, Nietzsche’s idea of dancing isn’t about denying that life can be a mess; it’s about choosing how to respond to it. He’s challenging us to stop taking everything so seriously. You’re not going to solve life’s riddles by sitting around in misery. Instead, ask yourself: What would it look like if I moved through this with lightness?
And here’s where you can get personal. Grab a notebook or your favorite journaling app and reflect on these questions:
- When was the last time you tried to control something that was ultimately out of your hands?
- How could you have “danced” through that moment instead?
- What’s one absurd situation you’re dealing with right now, and how can you shift your response?
- Where in your life are you holding onto seriousness when you could embrace more joy?
- What would it feel like to let go of needing everything to make sense?
The Call to Action: Your Next Dance Move
Now, I’m not saying you need to quit your job, go live in the woods, and dance barefoot under the stars (unless that’s your thing, in which case, go for it). But there is one quick action you can take today: Pick one small absurdity in your life and laugh at it. Seriously, just laugh. Your phone dies at the worst moment? Laugh. Your co-worker sends you yet another last-minute request? Laugh. See how it changes your perspective, even just for a moment.
Dancing with life’s absurdity doesn’t require you to change the world—or even your circumstances. It’s about how you move through it. So next time life sucks, remember Nietzsche, throw on some music (metaphorically or literally), and dance. Because, in the end, life’s not getting any less absurd—but you might just find some joy in the chaos.