WTF is Upperman?

I teach you the Übermensch. Man is something that shall be overcome.

The name of this website - Upperman - is a deliberate mistranslation of the concept of Übermensch from German philosopher Nietzsche’s work Thus Spoke Zarathustra. A more accurate English translation would be something like “Superman,” but that comes with the heavy baggage of the comic book character.

So, what is the Übermensch all about?

It can be thought of as an ideal of human development: an individual who rejects imposed social constructs and instead creates personal values based on strength, creativity, and mastery. According to Nietzsche, humanity is a transitional stage between animals and the Übermensch. Humans must overcome their limitations, fears, and dependence on inherited beliefs. The Übermensch embodies both the ability and the will to shape one’s own life according to self-created principles; this is something all of us should strive to become.