When a man roars with laughter he surpasses all the animals by his
vulgarity. 1, 369
The first opinion that occurs to us when we are suddenly asked about
anything is not usually our own, but only the current opinion belonging
to our caste, position, or family; our own opinions seldom float on the
surface. 1, 372
Nobody talks more passionately of his rights than he who, in the depths
of his soul, is doubtful about them. 1, 380.
Unconsciously we seek the principles and opinions which are suited to
our temperament, so that at last it seems as if these principles and
opinions had formed our character and given it support and stability,
whereas exactly the contrary has taken place. Our thoughts and
judgments are, apparently, to be taken subsequently as the causes of
our nature, but as a matter of fact _our_ nature is the cause of our so
thinking and judging. 1, 384
The man of unpleasant character, full of distrust, envious of the
success of fellow-competitors and neighbours, violent and enraged
at divergent opinions, shows that he belongs to an earlier grade of
culture, and is, therefore, an atavism; for the way in which he behaves
to people was right and suitable only for an age of club-law; he is
an _atavist._ The man of a different character, rich in sympathy,
winning friends everywhere, finding all that is growing and becoming
amiable, rejoicing at the honours and successes of others and claiming
no privilege of solely knowing the truth, but full of a modest
distrust,--he is a forerunner who presses upwards towards a higher
human culture. 1, 388
He who has not passed through different phases of conviction, but
sticks to the faith in whose net he was first caught, is, under
all circumstances, just on account of this unchangeableness, a
representative of _atavistic_ culture.... 1, 400
Opinions evolve out of _passions; indolence of intellect_ allows those
to congeal into _convictions_. 1, 404
He who has attained intellectual emancipation to any extent cannot, for
a long time, regard himself otherwise than as a wanderer on the face
of the earth--and not even as a traveller _towards_ a final goal, for
there is no such thing. 1, 405
If we make it clear to any one that, strictly, he can never speak
of truth, but only of probability and of its degrees, we generally
discover, from the undisguised joy of our pupil, how greatly men prefer
the uncertainty of their intellectual horizon, and how in their heart
of hearts they hate truth because of its definiteness. 2, 15
With all that enthusiasts say in favour of their gospel or their master
they are defending themselves, however much they comport themselves as
the judges and not the accused: because they are involuntarily reminded
almost at every moment that they are exceptions and have to assert
their legitimacy. 2, 18
The belief in truth begins with the doubt of all truths in which one
has previously believed. 2, 20
Philosophic brains will ... be distinguished from others by their
disbelief in the metaphysical significance of morality. 2, 29
You hold that sacrifice is the hallmark of moral action?--Just consider
whether in every action that is done with deliberation, in the best as
in the worst, there be not a sacrifice. 2, 30
It is more convenient to follow one's conscience than one's
intelligence, for at every failure conscience finds an excuse and an
encouragement in itself. That is why there are so many conscientious
and so few intelligent people. 2, 33
All moralists are shy, because they know they are confounded with spies
and traitors, so soon as their penchant is noticed. Besides, they are
generally conscious of being impotent in action, for in the midst of
work the motives of their activity almost withdraw their attention from
the work. 2, 42
No one accuses without an underlying notion of punishment and revenge,
even when he accuses his fate or himself. All complaint is accusation,
all self-congratulation is praise. Whether we do one or the other, we
always make some one responsible. 2, 44
We must know how to emerge cleaner from unclean conditions, and, if
necessary, how to wash ourselves even with dirty water. 2, 44
The origin of morality may be traced to two ideas: "The community is
of more value than the individual," and "The permanent interest is
to be preferred to the temporary." The conclusion drawn is that the
permanent interest of the community is unconditionally to be set above
the temporary interest of the individual, especially his momentary
well-being, but also his permanent interest and even the prolongation
of his existence. 2, 46-47
We should not shrink from treading the road to a virtue, even when we
see clearly that nothing but egotism, and accordingly utility, personal
comfort, fear, considerations of health, reputation, or glory, are
the impelling motives. These motives are styled ignoble and selfish.
Very well, but if they stimulate us to some virtue--for example,
self-denial, dutifulness, order, thrift, measure, and moderation--let
us listen to them, whatever their epithets may be! 2, 48
The tendency of a talent towards moral subjects, characters, motives,
towards the "beautiful soul" of the work of art, is often only a glass
eye put on by the artist who lacks a beautiful soul. 2, 78
Art is above all and meant to embellish life, to make us ourselves
endurable and if possible agreeable in the eyes of others. With this
task in view, art moderates us and holds us in restraint, creates
forms of intercourse, binds over the uneducated to laws of decency,
cleanliness, politeness, well-timed speech and silence. Hence art must
conceal or transfigure everything that is ugly--the painful, terrible,
and disgusting elements which in spite of every effort will always
break out afresh in accordance with the very origin of human nature.
Art has to perform this duty especially in regard to the passions and
spiritual agonies and anxieties, and to cause the significant factor
to shine through unavoidable or unconquerable ugliness. To this great,
super-great task the so-called art proper, that of works of art, is a
mere accessory. A man who feels within himself a surplus of such powers
of embellishment, concealment, and transfiguration will finally seek to
unburden himself of this surplus in works of art. The same holds good,
under special circumstances, of a whole nation. 2, 01-92
On great minds is bestowed the terrifying all-too-human of their
natures, their blindnesses, deformities, and extravagances, so
that their more powerful, easily all-too-powerful influence may be
continually held within bounds through the distrust aroused by such
qualities. 2, 100
Original minds are distinguished not by being the first to see a new
thing, but by seeing the old, well-known thing, which is seen and
overlooked by every one, as something new. The first discoverer is
usually that quite ordinary and unintellectual visionary--chance. 2, 105
The obvious satisfaction of the individual with his own form excites
imitation and gradually creates the form of the many--that is, fashion.
2, 107
Who of us could dare to call himself a "free spirit" if he could not
render homage after his fashion, by taking on his own shoulders a
portion of that burden of public dislike and abuse, to men to whom this
name is attached as a reproach? 2, 108
Immediate self-observation is not enough, by a long way, to enable us
to learn to know ourselves. We need history, for the past continues to
flow through us in a hundred channels. We ourselves are, after all,
nothing but our own sensation at every moment of this continued flow.
2, 117
To young and fresh barbarian nations ... Christianity is a poison.
2, 120
Faith, indeed, has up to the present not been able to move real
mountains, although I do not know who assumed that it could. But it can
put mountains where there was none. 2, 121
Among travellers we may distinguish five grades. The first and
lowest grade is of those who travel and are seen--they become really
travelled and are, as it were, blind. Next come those who really see
the world. The third class experience the results of their seeing. The
fourth weave their experience into their life and carry it with them
henceforth. Lastly, there are some men of the highest strength who,
as soon as they have returned home, must finally and necessarily work
out in their lives and productions all the things seen that they have
experienced and incorporated in themselves.--Like these five species
of travellers, all mankind goes through the whole pilgrimage of life,
the lowest as purely passive, the highest as those who act and live out
their lives without keeping back any residue of inner experiences.
2, 125
To treat all men with equal good-humour, and to be kind without
distinctions of persons, may arise as much from a profound contempt for
mankind as from an in-grained love of humanity. 2, 127
Towards science women and self-seeking artists entertain a feeling that
is composed of envy and sentimentality. 2, 134
The intellectual strength of a woman is best proved by the fact that
she offers her own intellect as a sacrifice out of love for a man and
his intellect, and that nevertheless in the new domain, which was
previously foreign to her nature, a second intellect at once arises as
an aftergrowth, to which the man's mind impels her. 2, 136
By women Nature shows how far she has hitherto achieved her task of
fashioning humanity, by man she shows what she has had overcome, and
what she still proposes to do for humanity. 2, 137
Whence arises the sudden passion of a man for a woman, a passion so
deep, so vital? Least of all from sensuality only: but when a man finds
weakness, need of help, and high spirits united in the same creature,
he suffers a sort of overflowing of soul, and is touched and offended
at the same moment. At this point arises the source of great love.
2, 140
Profundity of thought belongs to youth, clarity of thought to old age.
2, 140
The only remedy against Socialism that still lies in your power is to
avoid provoking Socialism--in other words, to live in moderation and
contentment, to prevent as far as possible all lavish display, and to
aid the State as far as possible in its taxing of all superfluities and
luxuries. 2, 145
Only a man of intellect should hold property: otherwise property is
dangerous to the community. For the owner, not knowing how to make use
of the leisure which his possessions might secure to him, will continue
to strive after more property.... It excites envy in the poor and
uncultured--who at bottom always envy culture and see no mask in the
mask--and gradually paves the way for a social revolution. 2, 147-148
Only up to a certain point does possession make men feel freer and
more independent; one step farther, and possession becomes lord, the
possessor a slave. 2, 149
The governments of the great States have two instruments for keeping
the people independent, in fear and obedience: a coarser, the army, and
a more refined, the school. 2, 152
To call a thing good not a day longer than it appears to us good, and
above all not a day earlier--that is the only way to keep joy pure.
2, 158
To honour and acknowledge even the bad, when it _pleases_ one, and
to have no conception of how one could be ashamed of being pleased
thereat, is the mark of sovereignty in things great and small.
2, 158-159
When life has treated us in true robber fashion, and has taken away all
that it could of honour, joys, connections, health, and property of
every kind, we perhaps discover in the end, after the first shock, that
we are richer than before. For now we know for the first time what is
so peculiarly ours that no robber hand can touch it, and perhaps, after
all the plunder and devastation, we come forward with the airs of a
mighty real estate owner. 2, 162
You rank far below others when you try to establish the exception and
they the rule. 2, 167
The most senile thought ever conceived about men lies in the famous
saying, "The ego is always hateful," the most childish in the still
more famous saying, "Love thy neighbour as thyself."--With the one
knowledge of men has ceased, with the other it has not yet begun. 2, 172
You find your burden of life too heavy? Then you must increase the
burden of your life. 2, 176
That the world is _not_ the abstract essence of an eternal
reasonableness is sufficiently proved by the fact that that _bit of the
world_ which we know--I mean our human reason--is none too reasonable.
And if _this_ is not eternally and wholly wise and reasonable, the rest
of the world will not be so either. 2, 184
There exists a simulated contempt for all things that mankind actually
holds most important, for all everyday matters. For instance, we say
"we only eat to live"--an abominable _lie,_ like that which speaks
of the procreation of children as the real purpose of all sexual
pleasure. Conversely, the reverence for "the most important things" is
hardly ever quite genuine. 2, 185