Rogationist Seminary College of Philosophy

THE USES AND ABUSES OF “TSISMIS” (Gossip) IN HISTORY FOR LIFE

A term end paper presented to the class of

Contemporary Philosophy

in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy

Submitted by

Sem. Dave Montero

Rogationists of the Heart of Jesus

Manila, April 29 2023

1
Contents
Background of the Study ....................................................................................................................3
From History to Life ...........................................................................................................................4
From Gossip to History .......................................................................................................................6
From Useful to Abusive ......................................................................................................................9
Conclusion ....................................................................................................................................... 11
Selected Bibliography....................................................................................................................... 13

Abstarct

Many have claimed that ”History is (or) like Tsismis” (a mere gossip) including the remarks of
a young Filipino actress by the name of Ella Cruz. However, in Nietzsche’s work which approaches
the use and abuses of History for life, consider (1) the effects of the overconsumption of history in
one’s knowledge, (2) the question regarding the maker of history in life and the (3) subjectivity in
maintaining the critical sense of appreciating history for the human person’s needs. The concern of
this discourse is to bring the sense of tsismis or gossip within the space of Nietzsche’s texts On the
Uses and abuses of History for Life (1874). As the view of relating gossip and history altogether
appears to emerge in the context of a person’s knowledge and way of living. With this, the researcher
treats the notion of ‘History as Gossip’ in a general sense, not only from the point of view of Ella
Cruz. While reading the text of Nietzsche regarding the uses and abuses of history for life. As
Nietzsche’s Philosophical approach on History can make a broad contrast on History and Tsismis
treating the latter as either useful or abusive in attaining the knowledge of the past critically reliable
for the sake of the needs of one’s life in the aspect of living the present itself while securing the future
beyond.

Key Words: Tsismis, History, Life, Ella Cruz, Friedrich Nietzsche.

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Background of the Study

In view of the Marcoses’ return to power in Philippine Politics many would engage on
the issues of truth in history. Crediting that some facts are in one way, or another seems to
be in favor to the Marcoses’ as such misinformation and revisions in history seemingly
brought them once again in the limelight.1 In effect was the retelling of the story on the last
72 hours of the Marcos family before being ousted in power in 1986 in a filmed entitled Maid
in Malacañang (2022). Whereas one of the involved is a young actress named Ella Cruz who
through an interview, noted the lines “History is like Tsismis….” days before the film was
officially released in July 2022. She added that History is filtered and there were already
many additions to it (may dagdag na rin ) and so we do not know what is the real history (so
hindi natin alam what is the real history) Cruz later on becomes a debatable subject
particularly in Social Media out of her statement which was being criticized most especially
by local Historians. Such as Ambeth Ocampo who noted at the other hand, that “History may
have bias, but it is based on fact not opinion,"2

In the context of Cruz’s statement itself where she only claimed that History is like
tsismis (History is like a mere gossip) instead of History is tsismis (History is gossip itself).
Compare to the lines of some writers such as Oscar Wilde who claimed that “Gossip is
charming! History is merely gossip…” Another author named Esther Friesner contends in
this way: “History is gossip that has been legitimized…” Gore Vidal almost share the same
sentiments when he says that “History is idle gossip about a happening whose truth is lost
the instant it has taken place.” While Elbert Hubbard defined History simply as “gossip well
told.”3

1 The last 2022 Philippine Election extensively rises the issues regarding misinformation, historical revisionism, and false
information regarding certain facts on some of the key events which became part of the History of the Philippines
pertaining to the abuses of Martial Law in 1972 and other abuses which leads to the EDSA People Power Revolution of
1986. Which ousted without the use of violence the so-called dictatorship of the 20-year administration of former president
Ferdinand Marcos Jr. (1917-1989, President of the Republic of the Philippines from 1965-1986) the Father of the current
Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Sr. widely known as BBM (as of 2023).

2Garcia, Nicka. “'History is like tsismis'? Historians weigh in on Ella Cruz's now-viral claim.”.The Philippine Star, Life. JUL 03,
2022.

3 Taken from different sources of quotes on the internet.

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 Cruz seemingly has no intention to put history into the level of tsismis or gossip
directly but rather to somehow relate the former to the latter as it appears that there is a
relevant connection in approaching such two extremes altogether. Seemingly, for Cruz
History might not be that far with gossip or idle talk, considering that the former itself might
be filtered and added in a way that it could still be based on opinion within methodology as
other historians would also engage the matter. As Cruz would emphasize only the seemingly
“tsismis” part of History without regretting the idea that History is still a different entity with
a mere activity of the former.

With that, we engage the purpose of the German Philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche’s
oeuvre regarding the sense of History to one’s life. As the notion of tsismis could be applicable
to the notion itself of History. And as Nietzsche considers in his approach of History by
setting a boundary on the overconsumption of such in knowledge, to whom we regard such,
and to what sense can we bring such into our lives subjectively yet critical in a manner that
it engages to one’s need. As to the questions of: how could we made a clear contrast between
history and tsismis towards the need of one’s life considering the work of Nietzsche? And in
what way tsismis or gossip useful and abusive in the sense of history proper to life?

From History to Life

For Nietzsche man is suffering from an overconsumption of history4 which was

defined by the Philosopher as the knowledge of previous cultures 5 Plainly, the concern of
Nietzsche when he is writing his opus On the uses and abuses of History (1874) is to treat the
status of Germany who is suffering from an over consumed inclination to both history and
culture.6 Such implies how a person ways of life relies too much on knowledge especially
with culture and the events of the past. As life itself should not be in the service of
knowledge7. Rather knowledge becomes effective to the needs of one’s life. Considering that

4 Nietzsche, Friedrich. “On the Use and Abuse of History for Life”. Johnston Ian. Trans. Untimely Meditations. 1874 Page 1.
5Such as the Greeks, the Romans, the Renaissance and among others. See Westacott, Emrys. "Nietzsche's "The Use and
Abuse Of History". ThoughtCo. https://www.thoughtco.com/nietzsches-the-use-and-abuse-of-history-2670323 (accessed
April 19, 2023).
6 Bi Jonathan. The Uses and Abuses of History for Life. Book notes-summaries. Limbo. Jonathanbi.com. Dec. 25. n.y.

7 Ibid

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the notion of life in the thoughts of Nietzsche is “...a deep, rich, creative engagement with the
world one is living in.”8 History is part of one’s life, as it was regarded by most scholars and
historians as the story of the human person (our-story in a general sense). With this, history
makes sense to life. However, too much history can even cause damage to one’s life
withstanding a lot of factors. Including the simple expression that History might be a mere
“tsismis” or gossip as how Cruz conceives it.

Looking back at the concern of Nietzsche where he appears to be reluctant with

history such as those who seems to engage the matter to a mere interaction of tsismis or idle
talk. However, Nietzsche has no further intent to reduce history itself rather the knowledge
that encompasses such with regards to the past. Hence, Nietzsche attacks the
overconsumption of knowledge that has been in the depth of the human person’s
consideration of the past. Since it is one of the factors why the human person is being
suppressed of his own existence and power to live authentically. It is by this notion of
knowledge that “the cause of the disease, the lack of health, was an overconsumption of
history”9. This could possibly lead to the assertion of some of the notable figures or even
simple individuals such as Ella Cruz herself that History is seemingly a mere gossip that has
to be dismayed. While Tsismis or gossip itself in the other hand causes disease not only to
oneself even to the society. What more if it be related or is being used to as an approach to
(or with) History.

The same idea of Tsismis in History can be treated using to what Nietzsche would refer
to as “the unhistorical state of mind or the super-historical state of mind,”10 These so-called
capacities in maintaining history to the needs of one’s life. It simply concerns the way the
human person treated and uses history as an approach still with the use of knowledge rather
than mere gossip. By simply synthesizing, comprehending, and controlling certain inputs of

8 Westacott, Emrys. "Nietzsche's "The Use and Abuse Of History"

9Ragnhage, Linus. “To Forget and Surrender in Order to Live. a Reinterpretation of Nietzsche’s Views on History and Life”
University of Skövde Schools of Humanities and Informatics. 2010. Page 7

10 Ibid

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facts from the past than possessing everything through knowledge.11 Even to the extent to
be like that of Ella Cruz who consider the possible relationship of tsismis to history in a more
subjective manner. While the principle of the mentioned capacities can even assess tsismis
itself so as to avoid certain misinformation and falsifications which in respect such careless
conversation regarding the person or the matters involves with his day to day life.

From Gossip to History

The view which tsismis provides to history even strengthen the point that the past
could possibly engage as a disadvantaged to the present. There are those who even “possess
the quality of the historical mind to differing degrees.”12 For while there are some who
almost live with their nature in the present just as animals who never concern their past ever
since. In one hand there are those who always look forward to the future and manage the
past in their own right. Ranghage continues that:

“To live unhistorically is basically the ability to forget, and it’s a basic
requirement for life. It is possible to survive without conscious memory, as the
animals show us, but it is not possible to live without forgetting (…) However, if the
historical tendency in man is more balanced we would probably end up with a
scientific man, who sees in history a progress and who wishes to strive towards the
future to make it better (…) he is capable of living, of using history as a means to create
life.”13

Forgetting and remembering in an exact amount to certain levels of events can be applicable
in doing tsismis itself as not all in such a discussion within a group of people can be
considered as relevant. Hence, it appears that there is nothing relevant at all in tsismis.

The questions which arise considering the move to live unhistorically and to
appreciate the past suprahistorically is whether history belongs to those who involve in

11“the suprahistoric capacity to synthesize and unify, the unhistoric capacity to forget and repress, and the historic
capacity to record and remember.” See Bi Jonathan. The Uses and Abuses of History for Life. Book notes-summaries.
12 Ragnhage, Linus. “To Forget and Surrender in Order to Live. a Reinterpretation of Nietzsche’s Views on History and Life”. Page 8

13 Ibid

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tsismis. In the first glance, “history belongs to the living person: it belongs to him as an active
and striving person; it belongs to him as a person who preserves and admires; it belongs to
him as a suffering person in need of emancipation”14 Here, clearly History does not only
preserve itself to Historians or to those who are able to interpret history nor to those has a
sufficient knowledge of such like Ambeth Ocampo. Even to those who has a limited access to
history such as Ella Cruz. Hence, History belongs to each and every one of us. As for
Nietzsche, History indeed belonged to the human person but in three separate manners and
ways: The monumental, the antiquarian and the critical. These three figures can be related
to the human person and how he matters or manages history and how could knowledge be
delved in a specific field or treatment of history within these three approaches which
Nietzsche provides in his work to make history more legitimate to life itself.

History is more legitimate to one’s life if it allows the human person to view “the great
figures of the past”15 and imitate their greatness, and not to simply study and even tsismis
what they have done. Since these figures are the foremost factors of why we live in the
present moment. Hence, they are not only mere monumental as how Nietzsche refers to such
an approach of history. Rather it is indeed monumental with an assurance of making sense
of the present through the legacies in which these historical-monumental figures maintain
beforehand. History is also legitimate when “the history of his city becomes for him the
history of his own self.”16 As the person who does not only know or for the sake of this study
“tsismis” what took place beforehand. Rather the person who admires and honors and at the
same extent, who has the ability to preserve are much accessible to history in an antiquarian
manner. History is finally legitimate when it is observed in a critical manner. And again, not
in a way of interaction such as tsismis and at the same time not in a way emerge too much
into the realm of knowledge by studying it furtherly without any reference to the needs of
one’s life. As critical history is in the service of living which points out:

“a proper balance of the historical and the unhistorical was not only necessary

14 Nietzsche, Friedrich. “On the Use and Abuse of History for Life”. Page 7
15 Bi, Jonathan. The Uses and Abuses of History for Life. Book notes-summaries.

16 Nietzsche, Friedrich. “On the Use and Abuse of History for Life”. Page 11

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 for the health of the nation but also applied to the individual. In other words, the
health of the individual depended on a proper balance between memory and
forgetting.”17

With tsismis given as a weak perspective in terms of recognizing history. It appears for
Nietzsche that knowledge has no different with tsismis as they are both deficient with History
and life. Nothing is History in tsismis through the society and that history reserves itself only
through knowledge especially among historians. Now, what remain in engaging life in
history is by remaining critical. As critical history is essential in the self and the society:

“Nietzsche’s notion of a critical history that applies to a nation to that of the

individual self: (1) what is true about nations is also true about the self (analogy); and
(2) a nation’s unbalanced attitude to its past would necessarily affect the ability of
individuals to achieve the kind of life Nietzsche sees as the good life.”18

Ella Cruz statement on History is limited in considering tsismis to the matter yet it does not
mean that such is not anymore necessary when it comes to the needs or matters of life. As
tsismis is not enough in history, and knowledge is not enough to life. For the life of man in
both sides (of history and tsismis) can draw the needs of the people for interaction which
circulates themselves to other different matters of the present through the past linking one
and the other whether in history or in tsismis.

In the sense of memory and forgetting tsismis seems to contribute to the matters of
history for there are things being engage in remembering and forgetting through tsismis. As
other details are remembered and forgotten for the sake of formulating another event or
‘history’ in a sense. Still differs with how scholars treat the most important and relevant
events in the life of man by forgetting and remembering certain events aswell. Yet away from
tsismis, the study of history involves a methodology not far however with opinions and biases
which has to be treated appropriately in a manner of approach using certain analysis and
science. That makes man’s knowledge of history an overdose to life as in tsismis. As

17 Turner, Talay, Zeynep. Nietzsche on Memory and Active Forgetting, The European Legacy, DOI:
10.1080/10848770.2018.1538091. 2018.
18 Ibid

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“Nietzsche's sense is that this historical preoccupation is both pervasive and excessive.”19
Making history almost tsismis in a sense that both needs to be dissolved or lessen.

From Useful to Abusive

The same with History in the sight of Nietzsche, tsismis can be useful and abusive in
delving the subject to the matters of life and of the past itself, basically more on the
knowledge with regards to the discipline. Knowledge can create a possible destruction to
one’s life if it is being obtained excessively: This includes an overarching contrast between
minds and way of living. Making the human person limited in their previous eras and time
phrase. Interrupts the growth and further development of the human person in the
present.20
Further, Nietzsche declared that “A person must have the power and from time to
time use it to break a past and to dissolve it, in order to be able to live” 21 Nietzsche may also
apply the same positions and held the similar views on history towards tsismis as it is being
engage to the matter of its studies and considerations of certain events both unimportant or
not that much. Such as the normal way of living in the society of the human person. With this
sort of consideration in tsismis to the society and in the life of the human person (and not
only in history). Tsismis is almost an approach to History as a way of delving at each and
everyone’s life.
In making history and knowledge reliable “Nietzsche wants to say that there is no
such objectivity.”22 Almost the same when it comes to tsismis. It is hard for a tsismis to be
reliable and to be considered as fact or an information moreover of a history. Since it is very
uninteresting to find whether a tsismis is objective in contrast with how history should work.
As “the subject is always there doing the interpretation. What ends up happening, when we

19“He is concerned that the historical movement has been dangerously institutionalized within not only the general forms
of culture but also, specifically, within its educational and critical disciplines.” See Bove, Paul. “Nietzsche's Use and Abuse of
History and the Problems of Revision: "Latecomers Live Truly an Ironical Existence" boundary 2, Vol. 7, No. 2, Revisions of the
Anglo-American Tradition: Part 1 (Winter, 1979), pp. 1-16 : Duke University Press Stable URL:
http://www.jstor.org/stable/303075, Page. 5

20 Westacott, Emrys. "Nietzsche's "The Use and Abuse Of History" -The Problems Caused by Too Much Historical Knowledge
21 Nietzsche, Friedrich. “On the Use and Abuse of History for Life”. Page 13

22 Bi, Jonathan. The Uses and Abuses of History for Life. Book notes-summaries.

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try to be objective in our history is that we simply turn ourselves into so impotent and weak
characters as to not have any of our own personality reflected in the history we write.”23
Just as Ella Cruz who stated History (for her) is like tsismis may sound in favor of what
Nietzsche would mean in being subjective with the matters of our knowledge and so with
history. However, Nietzsche defines first the three legitimate ways of considering history
which includes being critical in our approach to such matter. Which also means not
approaching history simply as tsismis rather even more. Likewise, not in a way of looking
history too much as it is become overconsumed by knowledge by calling it a discipline and
science more on to the needs of life.
Eager for this concern on history Nietzsche laid down what can history preserves to
man’s life and to his future without too much reservation of the past:

“These are the services which history can carry out for living. Every person
and every people, according to its goals, forces, and needs, uses a certain knowledge
of the past, sometimes as monumental history, sometimes as antiquarian history, and
sometimes as critical history, but not as a crowd of pure thinkers only watching life
closely, not as people eager for knowledge, individuals only satisfied by knowledge,
for whom an increase of understanding is the only goal, but always only for the
purpose of living and, in addition, under the command and the highest guidance of
this life. This is the natural relationship to history of an age, a culture, and a people:
summoned up by hunger, regulated by the degree of the need, held to limits by the
plastic power within, the understanding of the past is desired at all times to serve the
future and the present, not to weaken the present, not to uproot a forceful living
future. That all is simple, as the truth is simple, and is also immediately convincing for
anyone who does not begin by letting himself be guided by historical proof.” 24

23 Ibid

24 Nietzsche, Friedrich. “On the Use and Abuse of History for Life”. Page 13-14

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The desire of understanding the past is also present in tsismis such as in history. And such
desire, the same in the realm of history, must be treated based on the degree of need and to
serve the status of the present so to approach the possible conditions in the future beyond.
Since tsismis would always remain in the society and life of the ordinary human person.
History will always concern knowledge, especially among scholars themselves.
Bi finally concluded what Nietzsche aimed at the very beginning in making knowledge
more reliable to life and the past reliable in the present:

“The solution which Nietzsche prescribes is unsurprising: (…) We need to live

life not in the pursuit of knowledge but by examining our needs of life and adapting
knowledge to satisfy those needs. We may end up more stupid and less
knowledgeable by contemporary standards, but that is fine: we will be more filled
with life.”25

The objective of history is not always to make life imprisoned with past mistakes and tragic
occurrences. Inasmuch as history will not always remain as tsisimis. So much so that tsismis
itself is not in the service of history. Whereas to make history reliable to life is to avoid the
use of so much knowledge and tsismis in the life of the society. The sense of life must prevail
in the current reality instead of the sense of both knowledge and tsismis in history.

Conclusion

The victory over the presidency of Bongbong Marcos raises concern on whether
majority of the Filipinos still regards History in a way of making sense of what was happened
during the 1986 “Yellow” Revolution which ousted the dictator’s regime and restored
democracy through the leadership of Cory Aquino (1933-2009). Whether the taking place of
Martial Law which was declared during the time of Ferdinand Marcos in 1972 in a way
becomes justifiable even in the midst of controversies as it causes a lot of damages in the
country as Philippine History is concern. Such as the many lives claimed, the abuses taking

25 Bi, Jonathan. The Uses and Abuses of History for Life. Book notes-summaries.

11
place, and other negative effects which still disturbs some of the Filipinos nowadays
especially those victims who are still alive at the present.

However, it does not mean that one should abandon history and the knowledge which
was relevant to the matter. Nor to conclude or simply consider that tsismis simply makes
sense with history and hence, one must rely to such a notion and simply reduced history into
such a level. Knowledge and history still matter in a way that both must be considerably
useful for one’s life and the attainment to its need especially spiritual and productive ones
which is necessary to the human person’s experience and dealings in life. Still “an excess of
history harms the human person.”26 As tsismis in involve however in the sense of life and as
knowledge also engages with based on the human person’s way of dealing within his very
own needs in the society. History could possibly be proper even to those who are able to
participate in tsismis. As some of the events or engagements of the human person took place
or was first heard in tsismis or gossip. However, tsismis is not the mere basis for
acknowledging what history is.

As in tsismis the matters are more on the daily encounters of the human person with one
another such as to one’s neighbor’s current situation, way of life or even broadly his life himself.
The subject of tsismis becomes essential in a way that it creates an interaction to the life of the
person in the society. Compare to the study of history which only involves knowledge in the extent
of being so much engaged and overconsumed by such. For the sake of calling an event as history
per se. The sense of tsismis can delve into our own understanding of History. As Tsismis and
History can take place undeniably and so both two notions are part of life as a human person
who lives into the present yet manage to look at the past and maintaining the future in the
same extent through the matters of dealing with the needs of life.

26 Nietzsche, Friedrich. “On the Use and Abuse of History for Life” Page 7

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Selected Bibliography

1. Bi Jonathan. The Uses and Abuses of History for Life. Book notes-summaries. Retrieved
from: https://johnathanbi.com/book-notes-summaries/the-uses-and-abuses-of-history-for-
life (Accessed on February 14, 2023)

2. Bove, Paul. Nietzsche's Use and Abuse of History and the Problems of Revision:
"Latecomers Live Truly an Ironical Existence". boundary 2, Vol. 7, No. 2, Revisions of
the Anglo-American Tradition: Part 1 (Winter, 1979), pp. 1-16 : Duke University Press
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/303075,

3. Garcia, Nicka. “'History is like tsismis'? Historians weigh in on Ella Cruz's now-viral
claim.”.The Philippine Star, Life. JUL 03, 2022. Retrieved from:
https://philstarlife.com/news-and-views/351940-history-is-like-tsismis-historians-weigh-
in (Accessed on April 9 , 2023)

4. Nietzsche, Friedrich. “On the Use and Abuse of History for Life”. Johnston Ian. Trans.
Untimely Meditations. 1874 Page 1.

5. Ragnhage, Linus. “To Forget and Surrender in Order to Live. a Reinterpretation of

Nietzsche’s Views on History and Life” University of Skövde Schools of Humanities and
Informatics. 2010

6. Turner, Talay, Zeynep. Nietzsche on Memory and Active Forgetting, The European
Legacy, DOI: 10.1080/10848770.2018.1538091. 2018.

7. Westacott, Emrys. "Nietzsche's "The Use and Abuse Of History". ThoughtCo.

https://www.thoughtco.com/nietzsches-the-use-and-abuse-of-history-2670323 (accessed
April 19, 2023).

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