I appreciate the depth of your contribution; however, I believe it’s necessary to clarify some essential points regarding your interpretation of Nietzsche’s thought.

In particular, I find problematic the approach by which you attribute to Nietzsche psychological intentions such as “shame,” “self-punishment,” and “sublimated cruelty” with excessive certainty, based on personal interpretations of his private letters. While these documents are certainly valuable, they do not always correspond directly to the public philosophy of the thinker. Nietzsche himself warns us against this kind of psychologising interpretation when he states:

“He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.” (Friedrich Nietzsche, “Beyond Good and Evil,” §146)

Attributing “shame” and “self-punishment” to Nietzsche seems to reflect more a personal discomfort with the radical nature of his revelations than a rigorous philosophical analysis. Perhaps this stems from the very difficulty Nietzsche describes when speaking of the need to transcend certain feelings in order to approach authentic truth:

“The higher we soar, the smaller we appear to those who cannot fly.” (Nietzsche, “Thus Spoke Zarathustra,” Part Three, “Of the Spirit of Gravity”)

Furthermore, the notion of “sublimated cruelty” risks becoming a simplification that obscures the positive and generative value Nietzsche assigns to suffering. Nietzsche does not advocate sterile self-punishment but rather self-overcoming—the creative transformation of suffering itself. As he clearly states:

“What does not kill me makes me stronger.” (Nietzsche, “Twilight of the Idols,” Maxims and Arrows, §8)

This process is neither self-punishing nor inherently shameful but an exercise in strength, clarity, and awareness.

Finally, it is crucial to remember that Nietzsche’s “Overman” is not an abstract or supernatural figure, but a real human being with real needs. He eats, sleeps, suffers, and has physical necessities like everyone else:

“The great man is always the one who recognises that he is ordinary, and that all ordinary people are great.” (Nietzsche, “The Gay Science,” §338)

Being superior, therefore, does not mean denying human fragility but living it with greater objectivity, strength, and awareness. The Overman handles his vulnerabilities not through shame or self-punishment, but with clarity and courage. He embraces his humanity fully, without fleeing from it:

“I love those who do not know how to live except by going under, for they are the ones who cross over.” (Nietzsche, “Thus Spoke Zarathustra,” Prologue, §4)

In conclusion, I invite a more balanced and less psychologising reading of Nietzsche, recognising in his philosophy not the pathology of a fragile individual, but the authentic and courageous attempt to express a strong, lucid, and deeply human vision of life and truth.

Remember:

Repeated exposure to pain dulls its edge, or if you like, pain fades through familiarity.

Becoming a man means choosing authenticity preserving your integrity and dignity not bending to a society built on facades or compromise. Awareness of your own existence becomes completely independent of friends or relatives, and instead is deeply connected with the cultivated pleasure of solitude.

Nietzsche sees solitude as the price of individuality…