FOLLOW NO ONE. TRUST YOURSELF...

Nietzsche - Follow No One, Trust Yourself

Don't follow, trust yourself is a quote often attributed to Friedrich Nietzsche. While there is no evidence that Nietzsche himself spoke or wrote this, it doesn't make the advice any less valuable.

Trying to be someone different than you are can be hard on you and those around you. While it may give you some measure of satisfaction to think that you are like the people you admire and respect, it will only lead to frustration and unhappiness. The desire to emulate others can cause you to lose sight of who you actually are and what makes you happy. While it may seem easier to follow someone else's path in life, it may not be the best path for you.
Following your own path takes courage and a willingness to take risks with your future. In many cases, following your own path will lead to success even if it doesn't guarantee that outcome. For example, if you want to become a successful musician, but decide being a lawyer would be more practical because people tell you that's the road most traveled by musicians, then you're missing out on opportunities to learn how achieving your dream might work out in practice. You might also miss out on an opportunity for success as a musician since taking a different career path won't necessarily help your music career succeed.

Trust thyself:
Every heart vibrates to that iron string. Only those who have no self-confidence are afraid of trusting themselves; they stand in deadly fear of "their own heart," of its snares, of its delusions, and of being led astray by it. But the reality is that the greater part of our heart's wisdom has a more tender tone for the reason that it is not our own wisdom but that of a third person, and all kinds of strange fancies become confused with it.

TAKEAWAY

Friedrich Nietzsche once said, “Follow no one, trust yourself. Be your own leader, break with tradition”. These words of wisdom are basically saying the same thing as the quote earlier. If you follow the herd, you’re liable to end up in a rut, and perhaps have a less enjoyable life than you would have if you took risks and did things that others may not like. I think this is wise advice: while critiquing others certainly can be valuable, ultimately you need to be honest with yourself about what works best for you and try out different ideas and beliefs. Only then will you be able to identify what works for you and what doesn’t.

A famous German philosopher said, "He who follows the crowd will usually go no further than the crowd. He who walks alone is likely to find himself in places no one has ever been before." If you are a student of philosophy or religious studies, it is your favorite Nietzsche quote. You did not hesitate to quote him on Facebook and Twitter at every opportunity. His thoughts are your life's true aphorisms or inspiration. You dream of a world where everyone thinks like that.

Nietzsche argued for independent thought and self-reliance, and one of his main points was that anyone can create the authoritative figure on anyone else. I think this is an important point, but that doesn’t mean that we should be completely egocentric in our thinking. We can all learn from our mentors and elders, but we should still question everything they tell us. Just because someone is more experienced than you don’t necessarily mean they are right. The only thing stopping you from thinking independently is your past experiences, so once you realize that you might be able to begin creating your own unique path for yourself.