Breaking Bad: The Psychology of Walter White (based on Nietzsche)

The character of Walter White shows an interesting psychological transformation throughout the series that has been discussed and analyzed for years. Was Walter White simply a frustrated man gone evil? Or was there more to his evolution into Heisenberg? Could it be that Walter White achieved what many others only dream of, namely, to overcome himself? Through the lens of Nietzsche’s idea of the ‘Overman (or Übermensch),’ this video explores the psychology of Breaking Bad character Walter White.
Please note: this essay doesn’t condone Walter White’s actions, nor does it encourage people to imitate him. Also, this video contains Breaking Bad footage and imagery which belong to Sony Pictures, and it does contain spoilers.
Video: Breaking Bad: The Psychology of Walter White (based on Nietzsche)
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#breakingbad #walterwhite #nietzsche
00:00 - Intro
02:15 - Feeling cheated by life
05:06 - Nietzche's Overman
08:00 - Walter White as "Last Man"
11:50 - Heisenberg: a Higher Man?
16:17 - Wrap-up

[@krishnarjunar2724]

“Technically, Chemistry is the study of matter, but I'd like to call it as the study of Change” - Walter White.

[@jarinorvanto4301]

- What's the matter? - Yes.

[@qui.que.10]

That's Calculus

[@shaunakkarkhanis8042]

@@qui.que.10 that's actually measuring and calculating change

[@irrelevanttwat]

I like to see it*

[@enigma7310]

*Gretchen- "But what about the soul?"*

[@MrSandManGiveMeADream]

this is the exact moment walter white became a philosophical and psychological lesson

[@yohaizilber]

Chemistry - the study of transformation. What a great series.

[@person92906]

growth then decay then transformation! its fascinating, really.

[@jessmason2112]

Great alchemical metaphoric storyline.

[@obiwan4374]

I think he was partially awakened. He woke up from a fearful ego, but he didn't wake up from the ego that wants power So Heisenberg was a hybrid: half awakened to his true self, half blinded by power and revenge

[@chumaggots666]

Heisenberg never made it into the third transformation; that being 'the child'; as a Nietzschean character Walt died 'the ugliest man'

[@revenant097]

Agreed. His inability to confront his own desire for power made him go from conformism to self destructive ambition. Walter never stopped denying himself, and never got past his resentment of life.

[@gustavotuanimastrobuono7425]

What would a fully awakened Walt look like considering that the will for power and revenge were essential for his transformation? I mean, how could he have accomplished the third transformation?

[@Campfire30]

Damn, you nailed it.

[@tangerinesarebetterthanora7060]

Well then you don't agree with Nietzsche and that's fine. You think more along the lines of Buddhism. I think that ego is necessary to an extent.

[@SeraphimVolker]

Walter White seems like a character that Dostoevsky would create.

[@ItsMe-sx9ck]

Mahn...loved it I have read crime and punishment, the idiot , notes from the underground,....and still counting

[@aubriewest1135]

Yes. very complicated character yet easy to understand. Dostoevsky is great at seeing these stuff.

[@mouradanas]

Indeed!

[@RapPowah]

I'm just reading "Devils" and man it's 100% true haha

[@SeraphimVolker]

@@RapPowah The possessed is excellent. One of my favorite books by Dostoevsky.

[@TheOis1984]

the series is also a cautionary tale of the fate of a person who went down to the dark side. Even though Walt had his self-actualization fulfilled (successfully being someone really powerful), in the end everybody was worse off. His whole fortune gone, his son knew his father's criminal career, his wife hated him, his brother-in-law dead, many people got murdered (directily and indirectly from his actions) and his protege Pinkman experienced moments enough to make every man goes insane, or at least depressed. i think the fundamental flaw of his character is a common trait of a genius: his pride and his inability to work as a team. Had he been humbler and more cooperative, he could be a life-long co-founder of Grey Matter and be a billionaire without going bad.

[@keithk8275]

Being a billionaire is breaking bad.

[@OrthoHoppean]

@@keithk8275 uhhh....

[@MadScientist81]

Mike said it: “We had a good thing going on, we had frings, all you had to do is keep your mouth shut and do your job”. Couldn’t be more right, Walter would have enough money to take care of his cancer and family but it wasn’t enough, he had to be the alpha, the big dick.

[@briankelly4191]

I don’t know about him being worse off, in the end, Walt won. He left his family money, did something he loved and was good at, protected his family, and tied up all loose ends. Yes tons of tragedy and pain in his wake, but he also accomplished everything he set out to

[@sukottoshinobe7360]

@@keithk8275 totally nothing worse than a person who creates thousands of jobs

[@Ryan-Horgan]

Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you. Friedrich Nietzsche

[@gathuawachira4901]

Well said sir!

[@remc0s]

What if being a monster is actually more fun?

[@adamhbrennan]

Though he kinda set out to become a monster, not fight them

[@RonSwansonIsMyGod]

@John-Paul Hunt I choose to believe that Sam Harris is full of it...

[@SunshineSuperstar]

@@RonSwansonIsMyGod I agree...he's not as smart as he thinks he is. Believes his worldview to be the correct one yet fails to see how truly incomplete it is. He's a bit of a douchebag too. The kind of guy to sniff his own facts from a champagne glass, but ultimately FAR FAR better than Bill Nigh.

[@antoniodg2673]

Amazing how I'm going through the same mental transition. There is no worse thing in life, than to die within. "I don't believe people are looking for the meaning of life, as much as the experience of being alive" - Joseph Campbell

[@tapset]

Please don't start cooking meth

[@shadowflames042]

@@tapset yeah, grow weed instead.

[@tapset]

@@shadowflames042 weeds for dorks

[@shadowflames042]

@@tapset ok then, vape shop

[@sanjaybhatikar]

Walter White's transformation is the story of a man coming to the realization that only he is in his own way. Breaking Bad is worth more than a college education. Good video, thank you.

[@stray_cat87]

When Walt said _"I was alive..."_ By the end of the series, it hit hard.

[@VickeyKumar-lk3vj]

Death is not sad. The sad thing is most people don't live at all.

[@shivanipandey8208]

Beautiful ❤❤

[@David_10157]

This was great. I'd enjoy hearing your analysis on "Better Call Saul".

[@lemonstealinghorsdoeuvre]

15:03 Neizsche talked about what is bad and what is good, but, forgot what is best in life. That is *to crush your enemies, to see them driven before you, and to hear the lamentations of their women.*

[@norastorm99]

😆🤣🤣🤣

[@vcrbetamax]

That just reminded me of the Conan TV show that got cancelled. Apparently it was too “problematic”, so it got cancelled. Makes me think it was probably really good.

[@lemonstealinghorsdoeuvre]

@@vcrbetamax that made me think Conan O'Brian got canceled

[@vcrbetamax]

@@lemonstealinghorsdoeuvre Coco’s more powerful than a barbarian. Gonna take more than a woke crowd to take him down.

[@yaqubebased1961]

Reminder that Conan is Iranian

[@Anarcath]

Remarkable how much Walt respected his enemy (Hank). When Hank was down, Walt's speech brought him back. You could see Hank taking an important deep breath. Walt essentially told him that he was no one without Hank.

[@alexpearson8481]

This is outstanding work. It’s one thing to hear ‘live every day like it’s your last, for you die tomorrow ’ but to actually live it requires effort, learning and is probably a key skill to LIVE a real life.

[@FlorisDVijfde]

"Live every day like it’s your last, for you die tomorrow" is well meant but a rather silly advice if taken literally. Most people would no longer go to work if they truly believed they would die that day, because, why bother. It's good to think about what you really want out of life, but pretending that life will end soon doesn't really help if you're more interested in long term goals.

[@Jester_Jingles]

@@FlorisDVijfdea half measure mindset at that.

[@elbachiroutidrarine9680]

I love this new, style. favorite part : "I have spent my whole life scared, Frightend of things that could happene, might happen, might not happen."

[@RobertoTheOriginalManFromTheA]

Walter's story is a very common one for many regular people...Not being satisfied with their current life...and one day to rise to a higher status quo ..A sense of power and money....but getting too deep in it..where they may lose themselves.

[@Kur0miiiii]

Losing yourself? According to NPCs you’d lose yourself. Walt didn’t regret a single thing. Respect to him.

[@GinoChaviano19]

@@Kur0miiiii So Walt didn’t regret Hank’s death? Or his son’s disgust towards him? Or all the psychological damage he inflicted on Jesse?

[@Kur0miiiii]

@@GinoChaviano19 I feel like in the end no. When he dies he seems satisfied, he lost his family but it didn’t matter to him anymore bc he was a dead man. He knew everything would catch up to him so it’s like he just kinda accepted it all and died satisfied.

[@smartwater598]

Nah that losing yourself getting too deep thing is lies told by jealous people and fear

[@errwhattheflip]

He regretted quite a bit. He just didn't regret getting into the life@@Kur0miiiii

[@alecrichards8574]

"Say my name." "......Einzelganger." "You're gawdammit right." Another great analysis, i've been binge watching your videos lol

[@peppep1704]

The movie "Unforgiven" is another good example of Nietzschean psychological dilemmas.

[@Eellie87]

This was good. Thanks again for putting in the effort for another quality analysis.

[@ana-zb7ix]

The end of Nietzsche, along with W.W, proves the results of his Overman: isolated and completely insane. Great series, though.

[@ren14532]

Well i think it's human nature we always look for something to justify our bad actions instead of telling the truth or the real reason

[@gathuawachira4901]

Not really, social conditioning has taught us to repress our darkest selves, our persona is heavily masked. Our shadows really dark.

[@meatbleed]

@@gathuawachira4901 why would someone want to walk around announcing their personal dark thoughts

[@gathuawachira4901]

@@meatbleed Announcing it to the public can’t help. There are many ways to address your shadow, like daily journaling. Venting and integrating the shadow to your normal life means you accept who and what you are.

[@Campfire30]

@@gathuawachira4901 Insightful! When you said announcing to the public can’t help, I remembered how I used to do exactly that via Facebook. I deleted that beast eight months ago. It never helped, just like you said. What helped was private and sober reflection.

[@gathuawachira4901]

@@Campfire30 Facebook can be really depressing and people ignore this fact straight up. Most people are just addicted to the rush of energy that comes with those negative emotions.

[@bishaldebnath5004]

"There is more wisdom in your body than in your deepest philosophy."💓

[@soursewer3279]

Amazing work. I love the parallels here!

[@sebas_akgvi9695]

Yoooo never expected you to analyze breaking bad , let’s goooo

[@mackss9468]

Absolutely fantastic video, per usual!

[@slowentropy4531]

Another great upload, your channel is my favourite on KZbin. You have made my life infinitely better by opening my eyes to philosophy. Thanks

[@nocturneuh]

One of the greatest shows ever made; thank you Einzelgänger. Would greatly appreciate it if you could do a similar analysis on the character Gregory House, from the show House MD?, a story and character I'd say is on an equal footing to Walter White and Breaking Bad.

[@Athena0922]

Definitely

[@Davlavi]

This channel deserves way more views. Keep up the great videos.🙏

[@matthewturner639]

Yes new Einzelgänger and some of my favorite tv shows and philosophers

[@C.E.Thomas1952]

Einzelgagner THANK YOU. Absolutely brilliant. One of your best. Thank you again.

Thanks!! :)

[@Thephoenixrebirth84]

What a wonderful well made video. Thanks.

[@ReynaSingh]

Great analysis as usual. Keep it up

Thanks, Reyna! :)

[@diegolikescode]

one of the best videos yet, my friend Einzelgänger. Impressive. Very nice. Impressivelly very nice!

Thanks! 🙏 Glad to hear Giga Chad was entertained! ;)

[@dp055]

Awesome essay bro

[@petrpernikovec6601]

I saw this series few years ago. I was little child, but deep inside i felt emotionally the incredible change of Walter's life. Now i understand it also logically. Thank you for the video.

[@djkrptdnb]

Another great video! Love this take on Walter’s transformation - it would be interesting to look at Saul’s overall descent too…

[@JFAK1967]

Interesting insight, as always! Thank you.

[@natalieelisabeth5767]

Nice work. I enjoyed your essay.

[@NiKonomia]

I needed this. Thank you

[@mehdidj9440]

"These doctors, talking about surviving 1 year 2 years like it's the only thing that matters" walter white.

[@DivoGo]

Great synopsis! Thank you!❤️🌻

[@mikalynn1136]

Your synopsis of this....Brilliant!!! Thank you!!🌻🌻🌻

[@michaelanderson18]

That was awesome man. Well done & Good Job!

[@kingT9]

He is the man realized late but yes he did it for himself. . . Feels good to live other half of your life as full potential in the end we all gonna die one day.

[@jobunny919]

This video hit me in my core. Thank you!

[@DuneGuy796]

Ah darn. I absolutely love your videos. Will definitely come back because I am extremely interested in your content surrounding it here. Almost done with the series myself, absolutely nutty show. Got something to look forward to after it.

[@Munkaa]

Yesss, new video!

[@freeeagle2989]

Brilliant work. Bravo 👏👏👏

[@oslonorway547]

Primed for this, cos I just went through the entire series again. Many bits I'd overlooked in the past stood out more now and with deeper meanings. What I mean is, *the series itself did not change..... It is YOU who grows more, than back when you first watched it.*

[@Stryfe52]

How long is the watch time, compared to other shows? I want to watch it, but finding the time to has been the issue

[@oslonorway547]

@@Stryfe52 1 episode is about an hour. Go 2-6 episodes per day and you'll be done in a week.

[@Stryfe52]

@@oslonorway547 Oh, alright then.

[@roz6181]

@@Stryfe52 change your playback speed. I always do this to save time. Hehe

[@Stryfe52]

@@roz6181 I like that for informational videos, but that kind of ruins the enjoyment of TV or movies for me.

[@suancin9251]

Love all of your videos. Thank you!

[@mariodemon]

Great video! Thank you

[@ChrisEllinas]

Your video put me in so much thought, that will affect how I proceed with my life. Thank you 🙂

[@jeanpvx]

Great video, thank you!

[@manikenpachi2760]

Amazing video you definitely broke it down!

[@simonaxlz]

Brilliant video! Makes me almost want to watch the show and observe his transformation.

[@ZemarRed]

amazing video man keep it up!

[@lindaschultz7900]

This was excellent!!!

[@lover-of-fate]

Intriguing break down from a philosophical stand point. I love it.

[@npilgaard]

Excellent video! Thanks! :)

[@abhinavdino]

I was never in danger, skyler. I'm the Danger! I'm the one who knocks!

[@mindfulkayaker7737]

Great Analysis!!!

[@CenteredCircles]

I really like your videos, it helps me alot. Thank You.🙏🏻

[@avshalomsagi9921]

I dont think Walter has fully become a higher man. He did overcame his fear, but he still had other weaknesess, like revenge and greed. It is also symbolized in his death, he might have died fairly happy and in his own terms, but his family still doesn't like him and his son wont talk to him

[@smartwater598]

One say his son will realize respect his father this is the thing you can’t convince the losers or save them

[@errwhattheflip]

None of that really has anything to do with his higher man nature. Walter does become a sort of ubermensch by the end, and the story is about the impact that it had on his journey to get there

[@vishutanwar]

thanks for making that great episode.. sometimes you motivate me...

[@JAC42lafc]

Great video!

[@addequina4193]

Last week, i enjoyed and finished your book, Stoicism for Inner Peace. Thank you for that book. And also thank u for this analysis of walter white. Maybe next time u can do analysis of saul goodman or james mcgill

[@icebough4191]

Great video sir

[@RajBeats]

Another great one

[@LizdardKing86]

According to Nietzsche the closest man to have achieved the ubermensch was Goethe. Quite telling.

[@juliagrzywacz4855]

Thanks! Your videos provide me with interesting knowledge and help me in learning english.

[@dnaincome1197]

thanks so much for breaking down the psychology of all of this BLESS YOU ALL!

[@assassinscat9618]

Great analysis

[@wafaanoureddine2542]

Great video 👍

[@tobiasschneider8075]

Definitely not an easy topic, I think! It reminded me quite a lot of one of your recent videos about the philosophy of the Sith from the Star Wars universe. There are certainly similiar take-aways for our own personal life from these two videos: for me, it's to lead a life dedicated to myself and my own wellbeing and to stop being afraid of life and step out of the comfort zone and slave morality to fullfill my potential as much as I can. That being said, I still think this kind of philosophy is way too selfish and hedonist and I believe there are greater values in life to aim and strive for. To quote Kurt Vonnegut: "We are here to help each other get through this thing, whatever it is.” - or Confucius: "Life is really simple, but we insinst on making it complicated" and once again one another genius from Vonnegut: "I tell you, we are here on Earth to fart around, and don't let anybody tell you different.” PS: Maybe an analysis of A Man Without A Country would be interesting ;)

[@tonette1813]

Thanks this is really good

[@gusfring6887]

When i watched breaking bad i was always rooting for walt and never saw him as the bad guy

[@stephenmullen4749]

You clearly never seen hom watch jane choke to death?😊

[@crypt5129]

That's deeply concerning

[@johng.4959]

Brilliant! Thank you!

[@drbilalhaider3845]

Great video

[@Cinconegativoprimeiro]

Very nice!! Thankfully

[@elieaabboud6325]

Masterpiece, many thanks!

[@lucasam973]

Awesome. Hope to see one video about Jimmy McGill in the future.

[@bettercallmosby]

Love this video

[@glenacord]

Since my wife started re-watching Breaking Bad from the beginning, I've been watching a few Walter White psychology videos. This is by far the best I've seen.

[@sanjayshetty1533]

One of the best videos on youtube....

[@RonSwansonIsMyGod]

What the series is really showing, what White doesn't realize, is that the choice between master or slave, victim or victimizer, is a false alternative/dilemma. He doesn't understand and doesn't want to understand is that there are other possibilities, other ways to live ones life that would make for ones best life. A good movie that also explores the seductive power of this false notion is the movie Bad Influence with James Spader and Rob Lowe.

[@shaheemgirling3972]

One of the best series I have ever watched. Love the transformation of Walter White.

[@imagineMusic731]

What is it exactly that you love?!!! ... his transformation into a criminal?!!! ... That's why I wrote in another comment that I think this video is a big mistake! ... very big! ... 😑

[@shaheemgirling3972]

I like his transformation from being a man that just lived to please everyone around him and sacrifice his own potential to a man that sacrifices everything to live up to his full potential. The criminal aspect I don't condone at all but this is a fictional series after all.

[@hindenburg1596]

@@imagineMusic731 Are you dense?

[@GinoChaviano19]

@@imagineMusic731 lol you’re tripping. From a writing standpoint, it’s an amazing character transformation that progresses over 50 episodes. No one is saying it should be emulated in real life.

[@CyreseParrish]

​@@imagineMusic731His transformation into a criminal is the literal driving point of the show.

[@ItsMe-sx9ck]

Thanks man.

[@AceGeek]

Bruh, I never would have imagined you would make a video on this guy XD

[@giwrgosarv]

Thats some mind-blowing job

[@aachufusihoops]

This is a perfect video

[@gathuawachira4901]

Technically, ONE of the most important videos of my life. Mastery over oneself is the epitome of this life! What else could we be living for if not for oneself?

[@vulpesinculta9253]

For your tribe. What's the point of achieving your fullest potential, if you don't use your skills and knowledge for the good of your kin? That's what gives it purpose and nobility.

[@gathuawachira4901]

@@vulpesinculta9253 Very true, but charity starts from home. You can’t give your tribe that which you don’t have. That always leads to burnouts, resentments and frustrations! Just see Walter as the teacher, giving everything he had in the form of education which is a very noble and moral thing. This is what Nietzche described as slave morality. Human weaknesses turned into virtues. Society has never appreciated weakness over confidence, no matter the morality and virtue behind the weakness. Confidence and use of our brains is what has made human beings to thrive in a world full of hostility where almost everything is stronger than us.

[@JohnSmith-lz5nw]

You miss the whole point of the cautionary tale of the character of Walter White!!! Walter White ultimately betrayed himself!! He left trail of death and destruction, lost his entire family and his lineage will forever be associated with the monster "Heizenberg " The reality is that he did NOT achieve mastery over himself. He was a Slave to his Pride and Ego that in the end left him and everyone around him destroyed.

[@ChaChaRealSm00th]

​@@gathuawachira4901the answer is a balance between achieving what's best for you while still being mindful and providing for those you love ❤

[@thebigbingus8624]

What I never understood is, why did Walt not try and become a university professor? He certainly had the teaching experience, and he had his background in photon radiography that contributed to a Nobel prize. Any university with half a brain would have hired Walt. Sure the pay isn’t meth cook level of money, but it would have been more way more than a high school teacher.

[@loseraaa1259]

Show was made in 2008

[@ManOfTheWildWoods]

Oh right, I forgot that university professors didn't exist before 2008.

[@gt3984]

He probably was all ,what the hell ! At one point, you just think, its all the same when what you really wanted is taken from you and you think you can not have it back no matter what

[@yaqubebased1961]

This is honestly the hardest disbelief to suspend. There's no way a genius like Walt would be some no name high school teacher or carwash cashier at 50

[@reyza3640]

What kind of dumb question is that, cook meth pays more bills than being a university professor. If anything sums up a reasonable amount of money, you might choose to become meth cook rather than teaching, besides Walt had enough with his life already, being emasculated that he is. He enjoys himself being the boss in the meth business, that's all the thing that made him break so damn bad. His moral compass and sense of being decent has long gone due to his ego and empowerment. But we all know in daily life he's not even close as a thug, just casual man that having midlife crisis with extra cancer, you might do some ballsy stuff before you go. You never know.

[@swandx]

Great video ! Please analyse Lalo deadly charistma

[@danialmr5960]

Never stop posting

[@neo6657]

Interesting.... Great work as always, sir.

[@karthikv789]

Outstanding

[@vcrbetamax]

Being “the last man”? Ah… I’m over it.

[@Lebmob3]

This show was so good after watching this I want to rewatch it.

[@thereseborgund1818]

Einzelganger ❤❤❤ you are an angel 💯👑🙏

[@Michaelfernando27]

Thanks!

Terima kasih!