[4] This essay is a shorter version of his best-known work, the philosophical treatise On the Tragic (Om det tragiske, 1941).

[2] Zapffe's view is that humans are born with an overdeveloped consciousness (self-reflection, self-knowledge) which does not fit into nature's design.

The tragedy, following this theory, is that humans spend their time trying to dull their consciousness, to escape the burdens of existential reflection.

In "The Last Messiah", Zapffe described four principal defense mechanisms that humankind uses to avoid facing this paradox: On the occasion of the 65th birthday of the Norwegian–Canadian philosopher Herman Tønnessen, the book I Choose the Truth.

In 1924 he was the first person to climb the top of Tommeltott in Ullsfjorden; in 1925, the Småting (south side) in Kvaløya; and the Bentsjordtind between Malangen and Balsfjorden.

Later on the icebreaker DS «Isbjørn», Zapffe served as German interpreter, his father was also on board: the expedition was then to search for the missing Amundsen, but was unsuccessful.

He found a room on Erling Skjalgssøns street in Kristiania, living quite frugally and in a mentally catastrophic state: "The idea of death as the greatest consolation and escape, and which is always at hand, penetrates me with even greater force".

In 1987 he received the Honor Award from the Fritt Ord Foundation for "the original and versatile character of his literary work".

[6] In his last years of life, when he was frequently visited by journalists, he had an interview with Asker og Bærum Budstikke, in which he described himself as a nihilist: "I am not a pessimist.