Nietzsche is having none of it. Most of us strive to achieve what has become known as "the American dream." It might mean different things to different people but generally it involves having a good job, owning your own home and having enough money and leisure time to enjoy life. But Nietzsche warns us that comfort and leisure don't produce great men. It's only through suffering that we become wise and truly understand what life is all about. Here he's on common ground with the teachings of the ancient Greek tragedies and the old Biblical books of Job and Ecclesiastes. Nietzsche believes that profound suffering ennobles; it separates. We become noble by voluntarily taking on suffering. Living the modern American dream is an avoidance of suffering whenever possible. But this veneer hides the true meaning of life. We live with a thin veneer of activities and stuff so we won't have to face too much suffering. A deeper more philosophical viewpoint tells us it's perfectly normal to avoid pain and seek pleasure whenever possible. This is what Epicurus proposed in his philosophy. But Nietzsche says One of the most sophisticated forms of disguise is Epicureanism... because Nietzsche hates normal.
When all is said and done, where does Nietzsche really stand? Toward the end of his book Nietzsche takes an odd turn. He calls himself the last disciple and initiate of the god Dionysus. Then he goes on to say that I might well at last begin to give you, my friends, a little taste of this philosophy, as much as I am permitted? In a hushed voice, as is reasonable: for this concerns a number of things which are secret, new, strange, odd, mysterious... Dionysus (or Bacchus) is anything but secret, new or mysterious. It's one of the oldest and best-known things we have: the tendency for people to get out of control and do crazy things sometimes. There's no secret in that. Many people, good people, have been known to get drunk at a party and do outrageous things which are totally out of character. The Greeks were aware of this. They even set aside a few days for a "Bacchanalia" to let off a little steam. Living in society isn't always easy. It forces people to behave themselves when they would rather mis-behave. In modern America, we call it Spring Break or Mardi Gras instead of "Bacchanalia." Then it's "Girls Gone Wild" time. Eventually students graduate, get a job and settle down. This is normal. Nietzsche hates normal.