Friedrich Nietzsche: Quotes
- Belief
Convictions are more dangerous enemies of truth than lies.: Human, All-too-Human
- Brevity
It is my ambition to say in ten sentences what other men say in whole booksāwhat other men do not say in whole books.: Twilight of the Idols
- Candor and Sincerity
Talking much about oneself may be a way of hiding oneself.: Beyond Good and Evil
- Communication
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.: Beyond Good and Evil
- Conceit, Egotism, and Vanity
The vanity of others runs counter to our taste only when it runs counter to our vanity.: Beyond Good and Evil
- Conversation
One person seeks a midwife for his thoughts; the other, someone he can assist. Here is the origin of a good conversation.: Beyond Good and Evil
- Danger
Believe me, the secret of the greatest fruitfulness and the greatest enjoyment of existence is: to live dangerously!
- Death
One should part from life as Odysseus parted from Nausicaa: with a blessing rather than in love.: Beyond Good and Evil
- God
God is dead: but considering the state Man is in, there will perhaps be caves, for ages yet, in which his shadow will be shown.
- Gratitude
Great indebtedness does not make men grateful, but vengeful; and if a little charity is not forgotten, it turns into a gnawing worm.: Thus Spake Zarathustra
- Greatness
Let us not underestimate the privileges of the mediocre. As one climbs higher, life becomes ever harder; the coldness increases, responsibility increases.: The Antichrist
- Hatred and Dislike
One does not hate as long as one has a low esteem of someone, but only when one esteems him as an equal or a superior.: Beyond Good and Evil
- Hope
Hope is the worst of evils, for it prolongs the torment of man.: Human, All-too-Human
- Judgment
We praise or blame as one or the other affords more opportunity for exhibiting our power of judgment.: Human, All-too-Human
- Maturity
Man's maturity: to have regained the seriousness that he had as a child at play.: Beyond Good and Evil
- Memory
āI did this,ā says my memory. āI cannot have done this,ā says my pride, remaining inexorable. Eventually, my memory yields.: Beyond Good and Evil
- Men and Women
The same passions in man and woman nonetheless differ in tempo; hence man and woman do not cease misunderstanding one another.: Beyond Good and Evil
- Mental Illness
Insanity is the exception in individuals. In groups, parties, peoples, and times it is the rule.: Beyond Good and Evil
- Morality and Ethics
Morality is the herd-instinct in the individual.
- Morality and Ethics
There are no moral phenomena, only a moral interpretation of phenomena.: Beyond Good and Evil
- Necessity
Necessity is not a fact but an interpretation.: The Will to Power
- Passion
The will to overcome a passion is in the end merely the will of another or several other passions.: Beyond Good and Evil
- Punishment
Distrust all in whom the impulse to punish is powerful!: Thus Spake Zarathustra
- Religion
The two great European narcotics, alcohol and Christianity.: Twilight of the Idols
- Self-Condemnation
Whoever despises himself still esteems the despiser within himself.: Beyond Good and Evil
- Self-Sacrifice
Whoever has really sacrificed anything, knows that he wanted and got something in return.: Beyond Good and Evil
- Sleep
One must have all the virtues to sleep well. Shall I bear false witness? Shall I commit adultery? Shall I covet my neighbor's maid? All that would go ill with good sleep.: Thus Spake Zarathustra
- Success and Failure
Success has always been the worst of liars.: Beyond Good and Evil
- Suicide
The thought of suicide is a great consolation; one can get through many a bad night with it.: Beyond Good and Evil
- Virtue
It is a distinction to have many virtues, but a hard lot.: Thus Spake Zarathustra
- Women
God created woman. And indeed, that was the end of boredomābut of other things too! Woman was God's second mistake.: The Antichrist