To Sculpt Your Soul. in Nietzsche, The Gay Science, 290

by Corry Shores
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[The following is summary. The original text is reproduced below.]

Friedrich Nietzsche

The Gay Science

Book IV

290

One thing we must do is give style to our personal character. This is a "great and rare art." To do so, we must consider all our strengths and weaknesses. Then we

fit them into an artistic plan until every one of them appears as art and reason and even weaknesses delight the eye.

In some cases, we add new habits In other cases, we subtract natural tendencies, "both times through long practice and daily work at it. Here the ugly that could not be removed is concealed, there it has been reinterpreted and made sublime." We might have also have traits that are vague and that resisted shaping. [For example, we might hold a bitterness that taints our behavior, but does not spoil it. We could let it color our expressions without conveying negativity to others. Both you and other people will be at a distance to something that inherent to your personality.] By saving and exploiting these vague and intractable traits, we may exploit them for "distant views:" they are "meant to beckon toward the far and immeasurable."

Soon, we finish our artwork. We have made ourselves a work, ugliness and all. When we view a work of art, we can sense that a single taste crafted the whole piece. Likewise, it will be clear that a single taste crafted our character. It actually does not matter if it is good taste. What is required is that it is a single taste. We were not shaped by others. We shaped ourselves, artistically, in a way that makes our very selfhoods a work of art.

When we craft ourselves in this manner, we develop an characteristic style that in a way constrains us to be that particular crafted individual. But really those with strong and domineering natures will "enjoy their finest gaiety in such constraint and perfection." For these 'limitations' were self-imposed and were not impressed upon them. Contrarily, the weak characters without power over themselves will resent such stylistic constraints. For, they believe that such confinements are a form of slavery. These weak sorts believe in the random and the wild:

Such spirits‑and they may be of the first rank‑are always out to shape and interpret their environment as free nature‑wild, arbitrary, fantastic, disorderly, and surprising. And they are well advised because it is only in this way that they can give pleasure to themselves!

Such people are unhappy with what is given and natural about themselves. So they imagine that nature is indeterminate. This way, at any moment they too could change, a sort of Deleuzean "larval subjectivity."

So people may become satisfied with themselves in two ways:

1) The strong way: by dominating over oneself and shaping it, like a sculptor and his stone, or

2) The weak way: by believing that no form will stay still anyway, and thus it is better to let random chance change who we are.

But a person should have at least one of these ways to be satisfied with themselves. For, those who are dissatisfied with themselves are "continually ready for revenge: and we others will be his victims, if only by having to endure his ugly sight. For the sight of what is ugly makes one bad and gloomy."

Text from the Nietzsche Channel Kaufmann translation:

290.

One thing is needful.— To "give style" to one's character—a great and rare art! It is practiced by those who survey all the strengths and weaknesses of their nature and then fit them into an artistic plan until every one of them appears as art and reason and even weaknesses delight the eye. Here a large mass of second nature has been added, there a piece of original nature has been removed:—both times through long practice and daily work at it. Here the ugly that could not be removed is concealed, there it has been reinterpreted and made sublime. Much that is vague and resisted shaping has been saved and exploited for distant views:—it is meant to beckon toward the far and immeasurable. In the end, when the work is finished, it becomes evident how the constraint of a single taste governed and formed everything large and small: whether this taste was good or bad is less important than one might suppose,—if only it was a single taste!— It will be the strong and domineering natures that enjoy their finest gaiety in such constraint and perfection under a law of their own; the passion of their tremendous will relents in the face of all stylized nature, of all conquered and serving nature; even when they have to build palaces and design gardens they demur at giving nature freedom.— Conversely, it is the weak characters without power over themselves that hate the constraint of style: they feel that if this bitter and evil constraint were imposed upon them they would be demeaned:— they become slaves as soon as they serve; they hate to serve. Such spirits—and they may be of the first rank—are always out to shape and interpret their environment as free nature—wild, arbitrary, fantastic, disorderly, and surprising. And they are well advised because it is only in this way that they can give pleasure to themselves! For one thing is needful: that a human being should attain satisfaction with himself—whether it be by means of this or that poetry and art: only then is a human being at all tolerable to behold! Whoever is dissatisfied with himself is continually ready for revenge: and we others will be his victims, if only by having to endure his ugly sight. For the sight of what is ugly makes one bad and gloomy.

Nietzsche, Friedrich. The Gay Science. Transl. Walter Kaufmann.
PDF of the Thomas Common translation available:

https://archive.org/details/completenietasch10nietuoft