Physical gym culture obsesses over muscle gains while critical thinking muscles atrophy from social media scrolling and reality TV consumption. While people track reps and protein intake, they neglect mental workouts like reading philosophy, questioning assumptions, and challenging beliefs. Intellectual exercise matters more than physical exercise for human flourishing but gets zero attention.

Nietzsche warned that when you gaze into the abyss, the abyss gazes back into you, and when fighting monsters, beware becoming one yourself. This caution about confronting darkness reflects how studying evil or engaging with corrupt systems can corrupt the observer. Modern internet culture proves his point as endless scrolling through human depravity slowly transforms the viewer.

Nietzsche borrowed amor fati from Stoicism but transformed it from resigned acceptance into passionate affirmation. While Stoics taught accepting fate with emotional detachment, Nietzsche demanded loving every moment of existence including suffering. Amor fati means embracing your entire life so completely that you'd choose to live it infinitely again through eternal recurrence.