The concept of "A Path to the Unopposed-self" came to me by comparing yin-yang concepts with Nietzsche's philosophical writings.

An understanding of yin-yang:
Yin-yang is an eastern concept of duality that I learned from Tao and Zen Buddhism philosophies. This concept of this duality is: We naturally divide ourselves into “subject” (me) and “object” (other). A “thought” in my brain I continuously go to, is an “object” that I am subject to. The degree in which I am affected is the same degree as my affection for my imagined “thought.”

Removal of constraints:
Many of the “objects” in my brain are self- and society-conditioned constraints of unaccepting and untrusting judgements that come from shoulds, morals, and commandments. From both Nietzsche and eastern teachings, I learned, that freedom is achieved through removal of these constraints of human conditionings. A way to removal of constraints is acceptance (recondition to know knowable condition), and trust (uncondition to unknow unknowable condition). This path involves leaning towards instinct and unity.

A Path to the Unopposed-self:
This path is illustrated through five states of mind by degrees of affection.

State of mind:
Self-consciousness

Nietzsche quotes:
"Ultimately, the growth of consciousness becomes a danger; ... that it is a disease."

Yin–Yang connotes:
Human condition
(self-opposed, subject/object relationship)

Other notes:
• Ob + ject = opposition + throw = create opposition
• Sub + ject = under + throw = create exposure to opposition
• The self-apprehender is self-apprehensive
• The self-separator interferes with self-completion

State of mind:
Fictionalize self-consciousness

Nietzsche quotes:
"...there is no 'being' behind doing,
acting, becoming; 'the doer' is merely action imposed on the doing--the doing itself is everything."

Yin–Yang connotes:
• The opposer is a poser

Other notes:
• Recondition to know knowable condition = acceptance of our part
• Active reconditioning of our part
• Active removal of constraints

State of mind:
Oppose self-consciousness

Nietzsche quotes:
"The more eyes, diferent eyes, we can use to observe ..., the more complete our ‘concept’ ..., our ‘objectivity’."

Yin–Yang connotes:
• Objective self

Other notes:
• Recondition to know knowable condition = acceptance of our whole
• Active reconditioning of our whole
• Active removal of constraints

State of mind:
Overcoming self-consciousness

Nietzsche quotes:
"What is happiness? -- The feeling that power increases -- that a resistance is overcome."

Yin–Yang connotes:
• Self is other

Other notes:
• Uncondition to unknow unknowable condition = trust our part and whole
• The self-forgetter trusts the forgotten self
• Passive removal of constraints

State of mind:
Unself-consciousness

Nietzsche quotes:
"... a sensation of mankind come to completion ... this power over oneself and over fate, ... become instinct, the dominating instinct."

"Freedom from convictions of any kind, the capacity for an unconstrained view, pertains to strength."

"The will to power is also the ‘instinct to freedom’"

Yin–Yang connotes:
Human unconditioned
(unopposed)

Other notes:
• Unknow self = freedom
• Freedom = acceptance and trust
• The self-uniter comes to completion

Thoughts on Yang:
Male • light • knowable • active • push • recondition

Thoughts on Yin:
Female • dark • mystery • passive • pull • uncondition

Thoughts on Nietzsche:
Nietzsche shows a path to enlightenment, and that much of the path is “active.” That technology, art, and science are integral to the active part of accepting wisdom through what Nietzsche refers to as the stage of the “more eyes.” Nietzsche teaches: “try to reduce being self-conscious.” Tao teaches: “try to be unopposed.” Nietzsche with yin/yang showed me a path to reduce my being self-conscious. I think Nietzsche teaches we all “come to completion” when we forget ourselves in activities like games, art, research, watching dramas, laughing, etc. Nietzsche teaches that we need to be able to play with our objects/subjects in a regenerative way. We can constrain ourselves to evoke beauty.

Unoppose self booklet:
I created this booklet to use as a state of mind meditation tool. The booklets were printed from seven hand-carved linoleum blocks based on the original sketch above. All 80 of the booklets were hand folded and glued.

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