A Thought on the Apollonian and Dionysian

The ethos of the Apollonian and Dionysian paradigm was most notably introduced by Nietzsche. Simply speaking, the Apollonian is clarity, order, and logic. The Dionysian is murkiness, passion, and chaos. The two forces, though they are at odds with one another, are a necessary paradox for life. Without both, existence can’t maintain its fragile position.

Seeing the Apollonian and Dionysian drama play out in detached and abstract forms has an enticing beauty. Art would lose its significance if one side was abandoned for the other. To avoid books that read as to-do lists and symphonies that sound like random people playing any note they feel, the alter of both gods must be sacrificed to. But, as romantic as this may sound, the macro reality of the paradigm becomes uncomfortable when applied to the lives of individuals.

We’re conditioned to avoid the Dionysian, because, as I mentioned in last weeks post, we associate it with evil. Blaming this conditioning on society is naïve though. We avoid too much chaos because we understand we can lose ourselves to it. Addiction is a simple example here, but is hardly the end of the list. We will always be called towards the Dionysian just as we’re always called to the Apollonian.

How we serve these two concepts is part of the personal journey. One that’s filled with mistakes and, often enough, tragedy and regret. How much we give in and how much we hold ourselves back isn’t calculable looking forward either. It’s touch and go, back and forth. It’s the basis of aesthetics and it’s how life sustains itself. It doesn’t even need us to be conscious of it, but it’s probably better if we are.