Philosopher · German · 1844 – 1900 · 217 quotes
Necessity is not an established fact, but an interpretation.
Friedrich Nietzsche
Philosopher · German · 1844 – 1900
Do whatever you will, but first be such as are able to will.
There are no eternal facts, as there are no absolute truths.
That which does not kill us makes us stronger.
When you look into an abyss, the abyss also looks into you.
And we should consider every day lost on which we have not danced at least once. And we should call every truth false which was not accompanied by at least one laugh.
What do you regard as most humane? To spare someone shame.
What does not destroy me, makes me stronger.
Some are made modest by great praise, others insolent.
Faith: not wanting to know what is true.
Whenever I climb I am followed by a dog called 'Ego'.
In praise there is more obtrusiveness than in blame.
In everything one thing is impossible: rationality.
The best weapon against an enemy is another enemy.
All truly great thoughts are conceived by walking.
In heaven, all the interesting people are missing.
There is in general good reason to suppose that in several respects the gods could all benefit from instruction by us human beings. We humans are - more humane.
He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.
There are people who want to make men's lives more difficult for no other reason than the chance it provides them afterwards to offer their prescription for alleviating life; their Christianity, for instance.
Morality is the herd-instinct in the individual.
He who laughs best today, will also laughs last.
On the mountains of truth you can never climb in vain: either you will reach a point higher up today, or you will be training your powers so that you will be able to climb higher tomorrow.
He that humbleth himself wishes to be exalted.
To use the same words is not a sufficient guarantee of understanding; one must use the same words for the same genus of inward experience; ultimately one must have one's experiences in common.
When marrying, ask yourself this question: Do you believe that you will be able to converse well with this person into your old age? Everything else in marriage is transitory.
There are no facts, only interpretations.
Whoever battles with monsters had better see that it does not turn him into a monster. And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.
The aphorism in which I am the first master among Germans, are the forms of "eternity"; my ambition is to say in ten sentences what everyone else says in a book - what everyone else does not say in a book.
Without music, life would be a mistake.
All sciences are now under the obligation to prepare the ground for the future task of the philosopher, which is to solve the problem of value, to determine the true hierarchy of values.
Love is not consolation. It is light.
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.
Today I love myself as I love my god: who could charge me with a sin today? I know only sins against my god; but who knows my god?
It is good to express a thing twice right at the outset and so to give it a right foot and also a left one. Truth can surely stand on one leg, but with two it will be able to walk and get around.
Not necessity, not desire - no, the love of power is the demon of men. Let them have everything - health, food, a place to live, entertainment - they are and remain unhappy and low-spirited: for the demon waits and waits and will be satisfied.
Art is the proper task of life.
Fear is the mother of morality.
Woman was God's second mistake.
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself.
When one has finished building one's house, one suddenly realizes that in the process one has learned something that one really needed to know in the worst way - before one began.
After coming into contact with a religious man I always feel I must wash my hands.
In music the passions enjoy themselves.
Art raises its head where creeds relax.
What doesn't kill us makes us stronger.
Success has always been a great liar.
Although the most acute judges of the witches and even the witches themselves, were convinced of the guilt of witchery, the guilt nevertheless was non-existent. It is thus with all guilt.
The lie is a condition of life.
I do not know what the spirit of a philosopher could more wish to be than a good dancer. For the dance is his ideal, also his fine art, finally also the only kind of piety he knows, his "divine service."
