Ubermensch

Coming back to the body, and out of the mind.

Nietzsche’s Challenge:

“I teach you the Übermensch. Man is something that must be overcome. What have you done to surpass him? All beings so far have created something beyond themselves: and you wish to be the ebb of that great tide, and return to the animals instead of overcoming man?”

In this passage, Nietzsche introduces the Übermensch as the next stage in human evolution—a being that transcends humanity’s limitations. He issues a challenge: Are we satisfied with stagnation, or will we have the strength to rise above our current selves? The Übermensch represents the rejection of inherited moralities, the breaking of societal constraints, and the forging of a new path rooted in self-mastery. Nietzsche urges us not to retreat to our base instincts but to strive toward greater heights, embracing the challenge of surpassing what we are.

Dr. Christopher Hyatt’s Reflection (in a light mood):

“Today we are bombarded by slogans, fantasies, and idealism as substitutes for truth. But as Nietzsche so beautifully pointed out, while mankind claims to seek ‘truth,’ it is delusion that keeps the species alive. The question is: Why? Are we a flawed species? A species in transition? Or, as Nietzsche believed—a finished product with potential, though only for a select few? As you read, decide for yourself.

Truth is rarely on the menu of life, for it destroys the comfortable walls we build to shield ourselves from harsh realities—the truths of Darwin, Freud, Nietzsche, Galileo, Sartre, Fortune 500 executives, and others. To build a life on the ideal of human perfection is to build a house on an active volcano. Yet this is what most people do, speeding along the highway of not-so-quiet desperation.”

With his characteristic wit, Hyatt expands on Nietzsche’s ideas. While we claim to seek truth, Hyatt argues that we cling to illusions to survive. He asks if humanity is a flawed species, evolving, or already finished with only a few capable of truly transcending their limits. For most, Hyatt suggests, the pursuit of human perfection is a fantasy—a fragile attempt to avoid the painful truths of existence.

Dr Hyatt’s Reflection on Psychopathy (in An even lighter mood):

“Remember, transcending the human condition (what some might call psychopathy) is often mistaken for pathology (schizophrenia) by the public and reinforced by media propaganda.”

Here, Hyatt humorously explores the thin line between transcendence and madness. He points out that those who break free from societal norms, striving to transcend the limitations of the human condition, are often misunderstood or labeled as mentally ill. Conformity is favoured, and those who deviate are easily dismissed by society and the media as pathological.

A Shared Message

Both Nietzsche and Hyatt provoke us to confront the illusions we live by and question our potential. Most people prefer the comfort of delusion, but only a few have the courage to face the harsh truths of existence and rise above humanity’s limitations. This path is not easy, and those who pursue it may be misunderstood, but it leads to true freedom and individual power. Nietzsche and Hyatt encourage us to step outside societal norms, reject comforting lies, and embrace the difficult truths that allow real transformation.

Breaking Free from the Prison of Mind: A Call to Reclaim Individualism

As a lifelong member of the "Extreme Individual Institute," I write with one goal: to guide you toward freeing yourself from the invisible prison that holds you captive. Nearly 20 years ago, my understanding of "self" was shattered by Dr. Christopher Hyatt’s work, and that moment altered the course of my life. Now, more than ever, I see how the walls of this mental prison grow tighter with time.

Dr. Hyatt's teachings introduce the concept of a “Psychopath”—a Randian hero who reclaims power from the gods, to become a true individual. This transformation is not about intellectual rebellion; it’s about returning to the truth of the body, rejecting the false constructs of the mind. The essence of this change lies in rejecting the world built on control, guilt, and shame (or as Gordon has called it the world without sin). This essay will show you how we ended up trapped in the mental constructs of society and provide tools to break free.

Plato’s Trap: The Birth of the Mind’s Control

The division between mind, body, and soul can be traced back to Plato’s Republic. In his search for justice, Plato argued that justice is a form of harmony, both within the individual and society. Harmony, however, is often a guise for control. Plato’s philosophy suppresses the desires of the body, linking them with chaos and war, while advocating for rational order and discipline. This led to a long-standing tradition of repressing bodily desires for the sake of societal peace.

Plato’s ascetic and collectivist philosophy endures today. It teaches us that to live in harmony, we must control our passions and desires. This idea has become ingrained in Western thought, but it has created an invisible prison—one where the body is viewed as sinful and disorderly, while the mind and its ideals are elevated above it.

Plato’s argument is simple: restrain the passions and live in harmony. Restraint, then, becomes the first form of totalitarianism, where personal interests are subordinated to the greater good. This is the foundation of the prison.

The Internalisation of Control: From External Gods to Internal Guilt

Plato’s philosophy extends beyond the individual, shaping the very fabric of society. In his view, the mind, with its reason, discipline, and order, is superior to the body, which is driven by desire, lust, and chaos. The aim of his philosophy was to move toward order, peace, and happiness, while avoiding the chaos that leads to war.

Over time, this external control—the expectation to live in harmony—moved inward. The Old Testament’s God was an external authority figure, but in the New Testament, God becomes internalized. No longer just watching from the heavens, God now resides in the mind, always judging. The moral code of the Bible, like Plato’s philosophy, teaches that we should sacrifice ourselves for the greater good. It is a doctrine of asceticism and puritanism, a totalitarian mindset that requires no external prison—only the guilt and shame within.

The omnipresent, ever-judging God becomes the “policeman in your head,” keeping you in line with societal norms. You no longer need external punishments because you now punish yourself with guilt and fear of disapproval. This internal control is the essence of the mental prison.

Enter Nietzsche: The Descent into the Body

Nietzsche, however, tears down this mental prison in Thus Spoke Zarathustra. His Übermensch doesn’t transcend in the traditional sense but descends back into the body, rejecting false ideas, collective morality, and societal constraints. Nietzsche welcomes the body as the true home, reclaiming it from centuries of religious and philosophical repression.

For Nietzsche, the body is real, and its wisdom surpasses the mind’s illusions. The Übermensch abandons the ideal of perfection imposed by society and religion and instead embraces the raw truth of human existence, rooted in physicality, desire, and self-created values.

As Nietzsche writes:

"Behind thy thoughts and feelings, my brother, there is a mighty lord, an unknown sage—it is called self; it dwelleth in thy body, it is thy body."

The self is not the ego, inflated by ideas, but something deeper and more primal. The body contains more wisdom than the mind could ever grasp. This shift—from the external control of society to the internal wisdom of the body—is the crux of reclaiming individualism.

The true self is not a construct of the mind but something deeper—embodied wisdom. To reclaim this self is to break free from the prison of the mind and return to the truth of the body.

Reclaiming Your Authority: The Path to Freedom

The aim of this work is to help you reclaim your own authority, to stand on your own feet and take full responsibility for your life. To do this, you must first recognise the prison in which you are confined—the mental constructs, societal expectations, and internalised guilt that shape your every thought and action.

Most of us spend our lives in a trance, hypnotised by the mental program society has embedded in our heads. We are policed by shame, guilt, and the relentless pursuit of perfection. But this program can be rewritten. You are your own hypnotist, and my promise is to show you how to become your own programmer.

Here’s how to begin:

• Recognise the prison: Identify the external and internal forces controlling your actions.

• Decondition the mind: Challenge inherited moral constructs and societal expectations.

• Reconnect with the body: Embrace the body as the source of true wisdom and experience life through it.

• Reject the collective: Develop your own values, rooted in your individual desires, and discard what doesn’t serve you.

• Embrace self-responsibility: Take ownership of your life, mastering your desires and choosing your own path.

• Destroy and create: Let go of outdated beliefs and structures, and fill that space with what is authentic to you.

• Accept uncertainty: Live without the need for rigid rules or external validation, embracing the freedom of ambiguity.

Only by recognising the prison can you truly walk out. The journey ahead is one of self-discovery, of returning to the truth of the body and rejecting the falsehoods imposed by the mind. Time is not on our side, but the path to freedom is here, waiting for you to take the first step.