Live dangerously. Build your cities on the slopes of Vesuvius.” This quote is a metaphorical call to embrace risk and uncertainty. The Vesuvius is a volcano in Italy that famously erupted in 79 AD, burying the cities of Pompeii and Herculaneum. Building cities on its slopes would be an act of extreme risk-taking, given the potential for another catastrophic eruption.
In this quote, Nietzsche is encouraging us to not shy away from danger or uncertainty, but to face it head-on and even build our lives around it. He suggests that there is a certain vitality and exhilarity in living dangerously, in being open to the possibility of disaster at every moment. This does not mean that he is advocating for reckless behavior, but rather for a life lived fully and intensely, with a constant awareness of the fragility and precariousness of our existence.
In today’s world, this quote can be seen as a call to step out of our comfort zones, to take risks and embrace challenges. It can be applied in various areas of life, from personal development to business strategy. For example, in personal development, it could mean pursuing a passion even if it doesn’t guarantee security or success, or confronting a fear instead of avoiding it. It could also mean adopting a growth mindset, which embraces failure and difficulty as opportunities for learning and growth, rather than as threats to be avoided.
In business, this quote could be interpreted as an encouragement to innovate and disrupt, even if it means risking failure. Many of the most successful companies today, such as Apple or Tesla, were built on the slopes of metaphorical Vesuvius. They took risks, challenged established norms, and were prepared to fail in their pursuit of innovation.
In a broader societal context, this quote could be a call to tackle the major challenges of our time, such as climate change or social inequality, head-on, rather than shying away from them because of the potential risks or difficulties involved.
Overall, Nietzsche’s quote is a call to live fully, intensely, and courageously, to embrace risk and uncertainty, and to see them not as threats, but as catalysts for growth and innovation.
