The Underground Man’s first flaw is his paralysis by overthinking. He dreams of bold actions, such as confronting an acquaintance to restore his pride, but never has the will to act upon it. His mind is full with plans, yet fear and doubt hold him back a lot, eroding his self-worth. Each unfulfilled promise to himself deepens his sense of inadequacy, trapping him in a cycle of self-loathing. Dostoevsky illustrates that constant reflection without action breeds despair, hinting his readers to take small, decisive steps to preserve their confidence and avoid this mental prison. Betraying ourselves by not acting because of overthinking slowly diminishes our confidence.
Second destructive trait is the Underground Man’s spiteful isolation. He views others with contempt, caring only for his own comfort while wishing harm on those around him. This mindset turns minor interactions, like a stranger’s passing glance, into imagined slights, fueling his bitterness. He spends months obsessing over a trivial encounter with an officer, not for justice but to feed his resentment. Dostoevsky warns that such hostility cuts one off from human connection, leaving only loneliness and anger in its wake.
The third trait is cowardice in the face of challenge.. He avoids any difficulty that could lead to progress and quits his work as soon as possible. Liza, a woman who is friendly to him, offers him an opportunity to connect, but he rejects her because he is offended by his own weakness. His life becomes meaningless as a result of his refusal to confront all that life has to offer. Dostoevsky tells us that accepting difficulties, no matter how difficult, develops resiliency and creates pathways for a reason.
The fourth bad trait lies in dodging responsibility. He never admits his own part in his demise and instead places the blame for his suffering on everyone else, including friends and society overall. He cracks, saying the world keeps him from being saved, even when Liza shows him mercy. Because he refuses to take responsibility for his decisions, this avoidance keeps him stuck in a hopeless position. Such a story hints to us that the only way to recover freedom and escape self-inflicted suffering is to accept responsibility, even if it is painful.
The last trait is intellectual arrogance. He rejects happier, more generous viewpoints as stupid and sticks loyal to his pessimistic mindset. He claims the idea that he is superior, which prevents him from seeing other ways of living, even though he has met people who thrive through kindness and hard work. His stubborn pride keeps him stuck in sorrow by preventing him from growing. Dostoevsky implicitly tells us to be humble to keep an open mind to life's teachings and warns that thinking one's thoughts are superior to others stifles learning. You already notice that his view is Nihilist which is the worst ideology one can hold.
Philosophy is knowledge, and should be learned wholeheartedly. Newcomers should start with simpler ideas, as if you are a new game player. Start with reading fundamentals or the basics of philosophy itself. Reading Notes from The Underground in full offers richer insights than fragmented snippets on platforms like TikTok, where philosophy often becomes shallow, chasing likes over substance. Social media takes his view to be more edgy and often misleads people, turning cautionary tales into misguided ideals. One should not take a piece of writing without fully knowing the context behind it.
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