Dominance can be considered as the fundamental force that underlies the entirety of reality

The process of adaptation and the inherent battle for survival might be considered a secondary driving force in the evolutionary trajectory of animals, following the primary motivation to grow one's influence or power. The fundamental drive of all living organisms is to primarily increase their presence and proliferate. Irrespective of the circumstances humans encounter, their inherent drive for power manifests itself in various manners. Nietzsche designates these many modalities as the veiled manifestations of the desire to power, signifying that they seemingly emanate from alternative sources, such as compassion or sympathy, while fundamentally originating from an individual's instinctual drive to assert dominance over others. One of the initial manifestations of these covert expressions of the will to power pertains to an inclination towards autonomy, self-reliance, and tranquility. Fundamentally, what lies at the core of this concept is the innate drive for self-preservation and the pursuit of existence as a whole. Individuals desire peace and independence as a means of safeguarding themselves from the potential threat of violence perpetrated by others. Furthermore, individuals want to avoid being subjected to enslavement or subjugation by external forces. In essence, the contemporary world as we know it would not have materialized without the presence of a 'will to power' or a drive for domination.

Nietzsche contends that rather than directing our will to power outward to dominate those around us, we direct it inward and gain self-mastery. With self-mastery you gain profound self-control and spiritual depth, representing a more refined form of power than the power gained by conquering barbarians. The greatest power that we can have is power over ourselves, and we gain power over ourselves in the same way we gain power over external enemies: by attacking them and submitting them to our will. Strong-willed people, whom Nietzsche often refers to as free spirits, are always ready to attack their fundamental beliefs and assumptions, to question their very identity. There is great safety in resting assured that certain truths or beliefs are beyond question, and it takes great courage to question our fundamental “truths.” Nietzsche writes that what is important is not the courage of our convictions but the courage for an attack on our convictions. Such courage exhibits a strong will to power, the will to choose self-mastery over safety.

Imposing your will, especially to the point of oppression or exploitation of others is contrary to the will to power. A master who enslaves by force or similar oppression would be one whose will is perverted. The ubermensch leads by example, and those who are inferior to him fall in behind him. To Nietzsche, this is the natural order. Any objection to democracy would be if the system interfered with that natural order and promoted the less capable above the more capable (which sadly feels commonplace here in the US).