When You Gaze Long Into the Abyss, the Abyss Gazes Back

He who fights with monsters should take care that he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.

(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.)

A while back, I was chatting with a friend about detachment and compassion. My friend threw out a rather pessimistic idea: maybe, as ordinary people, we have no clue what it’s like to be truly wise. We’re just imagining it from the perspective of regular folks.

Based on my recent experiences and reflections, I replied: maybe a higher-dimensional existence isn’t some crystal-clear angel, but a murky, chaotic demon (not that this is necessarily accurate—maybe I was just rambling). There’s a chapter in Tao Te Ching that says, “Heaven and Earth are not humane; they treat all things as straw dogs.” Perhaps only at the level of Heaven and Earth can one truly transcend distinctions and stop operating based on human emotions and preferences.

What we can do, perhaps, is simply to experience life as fully as possible. I still believe that experiencing life holds immense value. As a vessel, I’ll live out this life, and maybe at the very end, I’ll let out an “Ohhh” before my soul drifts off to the Western Paradise.

I’ve always been a bit slow in certain areas. Since childhood, I was taught to be kind, to be upright. Following Occam’s Razor, I’ve always believed in keeping things simple: “Do not multiply entities beyond necessity.” I thought this approach would make things straightforward and reduce internal friction. But even so, I’ve found it incredibly hard to achieve. The more people I interact with, the more I see the darker sides of human nature. Over the years, aspects I once deliberately ignored have gradually surfaced. And now, I seem to finally understand: the way to defeat demons might be to learn their tricks. When this realization hit me, I felt a sudden jolt. Nietzsche had already seen through it all and left us this famous line: He who fights with monsters should take care that he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you.

We can acknowledge the darkness, understand it, and accept its existence—but only as a means to serve our abilities and ultimate goals. If you believe that the highest human experiences are still love, sincerity, and beauty, then recognizing the darkness can help you avoid being automatically swept into it when it appears. It can keep you from falling into the traps of endless games. But don’t gaze into the abyss for too long. Remember to look up and find your North Star.