Phenomenology of Action: From the 'Last Man' to the Mistress of Her Own Boundaries

At the beginning of the 21st century, humanity faces a paradoxical challenge that can be characterized as a crisis of action amidst a total excess of opportunities. Technological progress, which was supposed to free us from routine, has created new, more sophisticated forms of enslavement—algorithmic predictability, comfortable conformity, and information paralysis.

In this context, the philosophical legacy of Friedrich Nietzsche ceases to be mere historical heritage and transforms into a critically necessary psychological toolkit. Nietzsche offers a radical "philosophy of life" where action is viewed not as a mechanical function, but as a fundamental act of self-creation. Routine here is not just a time-management problem, but a symptom of a deeper existential disease—nihilism.

To understand how to escape routine, we must first look in the mirror. In his seminal work Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Nietzsche describes the "Last Man" (Letzter Mensch)—the antipode of the creative spirit. It is the metaphysical position of one who has rejected risk for the sake of security.

"The earth has become small, and on it hops the last man, who makes everything small. His race is as ineradicable as the flea-beetle; the last man lives longest".

This image of the "ground-flea" points to the pettiness of existence focused solely on comfort. The "Last Man" asks: "What is love? What is creation? What is passion?"—and blinks, unable to grasp these categories because they require tension. For him, routine is a defense mechanism, a "warmth" in which one wraps oneself to hide from the cold wind of being.

The main trap of comfort is that it removes the tension between who we are and who we can become. Nietzsche warns: "Woe! The time comes when man will no longer give birth to a star".

Why do we get bored living "normally"? Most people live according to Schopenhauer's "Will to Live"—the drive for self-preservation and energy conservation. But this is a survival strategy that inevitably leads to stagnation. Nietzsche counters this with the "Will to Power" (Wille zur Macht)—the drive to expand, overcome, and go beyond limits. For such a person, resistance is fuel. Happiness is the feeling that "power increases, that a resistance is overcome".

But there is an important nuance often missed in self-development: the difference between Force and Power.

Routine arises when there is Kraft (energy) but no Macht (the will to direct it towards a higher goal). We "drain" energy on scrolling or trivialities. The Nietzschean strategy of action is sublimation: the conscious smelting of one's instincts into creative achievements. To turn raw energy into results, focusing tools are needed to structure this flow (such as MriyaRun planners and diaries).

Nietzsche was one of the first to return the body to the center of philosophy, asserting: "The body is a great reason" . It is impossible to change life merely by "rethinking" something in your head—you need to change your physiology.

"We do not belong to those who have ideas only among books... It is our habit to think outdoors—walking, leaping, climbing, dancing".

The philosopher called a sedentary life "a sin against the Holy Ghost". If you are stuck in a routine, the first advice is not to plan, but to walk. The rhythmic movement of the legs unblocks the will.

Another barrier to action is the fear of pain. But Nietzsche suggests viewing oneself as both material and artist. The process of self-creation is the work of a sculptor. To release the "image" we want to embody, we must be ruthless to the "stone" within us—our laziness, fears, and habits. The pain we feel when breaking routine or setting boundaries is the necessary pain of chipping away excess marble.

Nietzsche brilliantly describes the process of escaping routine through three metamorphoses of the spirit:

It is at the Lion stage that Nietzsche's philosophy intersects with the practice of using the Boundary Mistress Diary. Nietzsche wrote about the need for the "pathos of distance" and the ability to stand alone. In a world where society (the "herd") constantly attacks us through messengers, the Lion's ability to "roar" and set a boundary is a condition for the survival of the personality. This diary becomes a tool for your "intellectual conscience". It is a space where you train your inner Lion to separate your own desires from imposed ones. Without clear boundaries, Macht energy leaks away, and we become the tired Camel again.

"I tell you: one must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star".

Chaos is not disorder, but a wealth of potential and impulses. Routine tries to "cement" this chaos, making life safe but sterile. But to give birth to a star, chaos must be structured. This is the union of the Dionysian (passion, energy) and the Apollonian (form, structure) principles.

Planning tools from MriyaRun can serve as that "Apollonian" framework for your "Dionysian" energy. Planning in the Nietzschean style is not a list of a slave's duties, but a score for a creator. It is a way to give form to your force (Kraft), transforming it into power (Macht) over your own life.

How do you test if your action is authentic? Nietzsche proposes the test of "Eternal Recurrence". Imagine that you have to live this day eternally. If this thought causes horror, it is a signal for immediate change.

The answer is Amor Fati—love of fate. This is the formula for human greatness: "not to want anything different, not forward, not backward... but to love it".

Nietzsche's ideal is not a tense athlete, but a Dancer. The main enemy is the "Spirit of Gravity" (seriousness, guilt). A person who has conquered routine possesses lightness.

The path from "ground-flea" to "dancing star" requires the courage to pick up the hammer of philosophy:

And remember the words of Zarathustra: "Now I am light, now I fly, now I see myself beneath myself, now a god dances through me".