Be wary of your consciousness

As humans we take great pride in our consciousness, believing it is the kernel of our being. We think our consciousness is "abiding, eternal, and ultimate" - but, Nietzsche argues in The Gay Science, the truth is the exact opposite👇

Nietzsche writes: "Consciousness is the last and latest development of the organic and hence also what is most unfinished and unstrong." This turns conventional wisdom on its head but is obviously right - consciousness, a recent evolutionary development, is a work-in-progress.

Consciousness has rough edges and "gives rise to countless errors."

In the face of these errors, our unconscious instincts preserve us. Our instincts have developed for a far longer time and are honed enough to make wise split-second decisions.

If our instincts weren't with us, we would perish of our conscious "misjudgments, fantasies, and credulity."

Any organism or system needs proper feedback to grow. A step in the right direction needs to be rewarded; a wrong move needs to be punished. Nietzsche recommends this is how we should treat the development of consciousness. It is something to be grown, not something we have.

Nietzsche presents the task of developing consciousness as one of "incorporating knowledge and making it instinctive." We master logic and collect facts, but can we integrate them into our instincts so they can serve life?

Consciousness is an organ that can and must be trained. Unlike other organs, its functions and possibilities are more open ended as it arrived late on the scene. Legs can only walk and sprint, but consciousness can both elevate and sabotage life.

This makes the development of consciousness a tricky affair. There are more IEDs to step on, so to speak, but also more fertile gardens to discover.

Bottom line. Nietzsche warns against the "ridiculous overestimation and misunderstanding of consciousness." In crisis, trust the older parts of your brain more. Actively develop your consciousness. Like clay, it is impressionable. That is both its strength and weakness.