Laughter: that was the key to the amor fati. The tortures of life’s game—even in a game that seems largely painless—would endure. Resisting or denying these tensions and strivings would only intensify their force. The point of life was not to “get a grip” but to loosen one’s hold just enough to get a fleeting sense of release. “Some of us think that holding on makes us strong,” Hesse remarked, “but sometimes it is letting go.” Genuine laughter would be long in coming, but it would remain the goal.
