famous quotes by friedrich nietzsche
75 Famous Quotes by Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Nietzsche's 'saying "yes" to life' attitude, getting notoriously acidic with other philosophers, and a fondness for ironies and metaphors is visible in his work. Let's take a glimpse of his life through his famous quotes.
The Turin Horse
Nietzsche had a mental breakdown when he saw a horse being whipped on the streets of Turin. He ran towards it and held its neck in his arms to protect it, and collapsed to the ground, after which he was admitted to an asylum for the rest of his life. This became the subject of the 2011 philosophical drama movie―The Turin Horse.
A German philosopher, a critic of Christianity, an early analyst of Greek philosophy, Friedrich Nietzsche had a little something for everybody and nobody. His love-hate relationship with Socrates, his getting rejected by Lou Salomé thrice and never getting married, his belief in becoming what you are, expressing his views about power and being called an Antichrist―he's lived every aspect of his life with grandeur and pride.
Writing poetic philosophy and writing philosophical poetry, shows his excellence at words. Art, morality, existentialism, contemporary culture held his interest. Let's take a peek at the following quotes and sayings by Nietzsche understanding his view on things.
Writing ...
A good writer possesses not only his own spirit but also the spirit of his friends.
All I need is a sheet of paper and something to write with, and then I can turn the world upside down.
It is my ambition to say in ten sentences what others say in a whole book.
I am one thing, my writings are another.
The author must keep his mouth shut when his work starts to speak.
Poets are shameless with their experiences: they exploit them.
Music, Dance, Art ...
And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.
You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star.
Without music, life would be a mistake.
We should consider every day lost on which we have not danced at least once.
We have art in order not to die of the truth.
Art is the proper task of life.
Only sick music makes money today.
Women, Love, Marriage ...
Stupidity in a woman is unfeminine.
― All Too Human
Has a woman who knew she was well-dressed ever caught a cold?
The true man wants two things: danger and play. For that reason he wants woman, as the most dangerous plaything.
In revenge and in love woman is more barbaric than man is.
― Beyond Good and Evil
There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness.
It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages.
Faith: not wanting to know what the truth is.
That which is done out of love is always beyond good and evil.
One ought to hold on to one's heart; for if one lets it go, one soon loses control of the head too.
Love is a state in which a man sees things most decidedly as they are not.
Love is blind. Friendship closes its eyes.
The best friend is likely to acquire the best wife, because a good marriage is based on the talent for friendship.
Thoughts, Philosophies, Life Lessons ...
That which does not kill us makes us stronger.
It is hard enough to remember my opinions, without also remembering my reasons for them!
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.
Sometimes people don't want to hear the truth because they don't want their illusions destroyed.
There are no facts, only interpretations.
The man of knowledge must be able not only to love his enemies but also to hate his friends.
He who has a why to live for can bear almost any how.
When we are tired, we are attacked by ideas we conquered long ago.
The snake which cannot cast its skin has to die. As well the minds which are prevented from changing their opinions; they cease to be mind.
The earth has a skin and that skin has diseases; one of its diseases is called man.
In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule.
There are horrible people who, instead of solving a problem, tangle it up and make it harder to solve for anyone who wants to deal with it. Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.
The advantage of a bad memory is that one enjoys several times the same good things for the first time.
Man is the cruelest animal.
Without forgetting it is quite impossible to live at all.
― On the Advantage and Disadvantage of History for Life
The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently.
One must not let oneself be misled: they say 'Judge not!' but they send to Hell everything that stands in their way.
Every deep thinker is more afraid of being understood than of being misunderstood.
The higher we soar the smaller we appear to those who cannot fly.
― Thus Spoke Zarathustra
A thinker sees his own actions as experiments and questions--as attempts to find out something. Success and failure are for him answers above all.
There are no beautiful surfaces without a terrible depth.
There are two different types of people in the world, those who want to know, and those who want to believe.
All truly great thoughts are conceived while walking.
― Twilight of the Idols
A thought, even a possibility, can shatter and transform us.
What does your conscience say? - 'You should become the person you are'.
Silence is worse; all truths that are kept silent become poisonous.
Amor Fati - "Love Your Fate", which is in fact your life.
Invisible threads are the strongest ties.
Blessed are the forgetful, for they get the better even of their blunders.
The lonely one offers his hand too quickly to whomever he encounters.
― Thus Spoke Zarathustra
They muddy the water, to make it seem deep.
Talking much about oneself can also be a means to conceal oneself.
Ultimately, it is the desire, not the desired, that we love.
There is more wisdom in your body than in your deepest philosophy.
― Thus Spoke Zarathustra
Whenever I climb I am followed by a dog called 'Ego'.
There are no eternal facts, as there are no absolute truths.
And once you are awake, you shall remain awake eternally.
― Thus Spoke Zarathustra
In every real man a child is hidden that wants to play.
What is the seal of liberation? Not to be ashamed in front of oneself.
God, Christianity, Power ...
Is man merely a mistake of God's? Or God merely a mistake of man?
In truth, there was only one christian and he died on the cross
After coming into contact with a religious man I always feel I must wash my hands.
I would believe only in a God that knows how to dance.
Life, Existentialism, Death ...
Live dangerously.
One must give value to their existence by behaving as if ones very existence were a work of art.
Existence really is an imperfect tense that never becomes a present.
To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering.
In heaven, all the interesting people are missing.
The thought of suicide is a great consolation: by means of it one gets through many a dark night.
One should die proudly when it is no longer possible to live proudly.