The Nietzsche Thesis | Jonny Thomson

According to Nietzsche, few people actually care about the truth . Few people care about facts . Instead, most people are concerned with looking good and feeling good. Most people care only about comfort, security, and power.

From this observation, the philosopher Joseph Shieber coined the expression 'The Nietzsche thesis,' where he argued 'the goal of most conversations is not about seeking the truth, but about self-preservation.'

In other words, most people would accept or reject a fact based upon calculation, rather than any concern for the truth. As Nietzsche put it, we will accept and look for truth only when 'it has pleasant, life-preserving consequences.' Conversely, we are resistant 'to potentially harmful or destructive truths.' We do not have any meaningful concern for the truth, but only our well-being.

There is one observation about the modern world which might lend support to the Nietzsche Thesis, and that's the popularity of conspiracy theories and echo chamber monologues. Because if people really did care for the truth, they would be fact-checking wild and distorted claims all of the time. But people do not. When a #charismatic or compelling speaker delivers a statement, it's easy to accept it based much more on self-serving lines.

People will nod along if others are nodding along too, they will accept it if it preserves their social status. The Nietzsche Thesis reminds us of an important point, and that's in our interactions with other people. What we hear, see, and read often has very little to do with truth. People are very bad at facts. But if Nietzsche is right, people don't even care about them either.