3 Steps to Becoming Who You Really Are
The Camel, Lion, and Child Parable
Most people do not live their own values throughout life and feel like they are not their true selves. Friedrich Nietzsche has a parable in his book, “Thus Spoke Zarathustra.” The parable is called Three Metamorphoses, and it revolves around the metaphors of a camel, lion, and child. The parable lays out the steps on how to become who you really are. I’ve beneficially applied aspects of this parable in my life and you can as well. In this essay I’ll show you how.
Camel:
The first metaphor is the Camel, which Nietzsche described as a beast of burden. The Camel is a load-bearing animal who carries the weight of other’s ideals, opinions and values on its back. To paraphrase Nietzsche, “the load-bearing spirit asks people in authority positions what is the heaviest that I may take it upon me and rejoice in my strength?”
What Nietzsche is referring to is people in authority positions, such as priests, politicians, parents, teachers, etc., and how they treat us from an early age as though we have to carry around their values, beliefs, and morality. Rather than allowing us to choose for ourselves what we truly value and believe, authority figures judge and weighs us down with their own baggage of values. The load-bearing spirit in people is meek and seeks praise from authority figures for doing what they are told and being “good.” This is not being your true self.
He concludes this phase of the camel spirit by stating that “like the camel, which when laden hastens into the wilderness, so hastens the spirit into his wilderness. “His wilderness,” I take that as meaning solitude, maybe mental solitude. Going out into uncharted, unsafe, murky waters and hoping to be your own person and find yourself.
Lion:
Nietzsche then states that, “in the loneliest wilderness the second metamorphosis will occur by the spirit changing into a lion; and it will acquire freedom and dominance in its own wilderness.” Nietzsche paints an image with words of a lion battling its final foe…a dragon. Metaphorically, the dragon represents authority figures, priests and people who dictate values. Nietzsche names the dragon “Thou-shalt.” This is fundamentally what anyone in a position of authority defines as “good” “bad” “should do” “ought to do,” etc. Nietzsche goes on to say that the spirit of the lion replies “I Will.” Meaning, I will value what I want and not what someone else dictates. I will not judge and shame myself based on another’s value system.
This is the conflict of a person’s spirit (non-religious) fighting back against the values of authority figures and society. You must have the ferociousness of a lion to resist against people in authority and society…it is not for the weak of heart. According to Nietzsche, the lion cannot create new values, but it can fight for its freedom to be able to create new values. It is forced to find illusion and arbitrariness even in the holiest of things (Nietzsche, p. 22.)
Child:
The final metamorphosis then occurs. This is where the spirit of a person changes from being a like a lion to a child. Nietzsche asks, “what can a child do that even a lion cannot do?” The child is “forgetfulness, a new beginning, a game, and free movement.” In other words, the ability to create your own values, beliefs, and morality. You’re no longer weighed down and judged by the values of others like a camel. You are also not fighting back against society’s values like a lion. You can now truly be free and simply exist. In psychology, this is called essence. You are now viewing your life as a game: free of judgment, shaming.
As a father of a beautiful, young daughter I can tell you that this is how children exist. If you do not judge and dictate your values to them, children do view the world as a toy, a game, and at times they forget. And all of that is okay, because they are creating their own world and values. Which is why I and my wife ensure that we never shame, nor value judge our daughter.
Challenge to Grow:
I have a challenge for you moving forward: are you tired of carrying the weight of society and everyone else’s values on your back; all the while not living your own life as you see fit? Then I challenge you…become like a lion and fight back against the values that aren’t yours. Then, like a child, view the world as your toy and create your own value system!
References:
Nietzsche, Friedrich (1885). Thus Spake Zaratustra: A Book for All and None. Wordsworth Editions Limited.