Quotes from Friedrich Nietzsche

Which is it? Is man only a blunder of God? Or is God only a blunder of man?

Behold! I am weary of my wisdom, like the bee that has gathered too much honey; I need hands outstretched to take it from me. I wish to spread it and bestow it, until the wise have once more become joyous in their folly, and the poor happy in their riches.

Good writers have two things in common: they prefer to be understood rather than admired; and they do not write for knowing and over-acute readers.

Morality is just a fiction used by the herd of inferior human beings to hold back the few superior men.

The complete irresponsibility of man for his actions and his nature is the bitterest drop which he who understands must swallow.

To him who feels himself preordained to contemplation and not to belief, all believers are too noisy and obtrusive; he guards against them.

Let us beware of saying that death is the opposite of life. The living being is only a species of the dead, and a very rare species.

it is only as an aesthetic phenomenon that existence and the world are eternally justified .

Either one does not dream, or one does so interestingly. One should learn to spend one's waking life in the same way: not at all, or interestingly.

Watch them clamber, these swift monkeys! They clamber over one another and thus drag one another into the mud and the depth. They all want to get to the throne: that is their madness — as if happiness sat on the throne. Often, mud sits on the throne — and often the throne also on mud. Mad they all appear to me, clambering monkeys and overardent. Foul smells their idol, the cold monster: foul, they smell to me altogether, these idolators.

In truth, man is a polluted river. One must be a sea to receive a polluted river without becoming defiled. I bring you the Superman! He is that sea; in him your great contempt can be submerged.

Every profound spirit needs a mask

In some remote corner of the universe, poured out and glittering among innumerable solar systems, there once was a star on which clever animals invented knowledge.

Pity is the most agreeable feeling among those who have little pride and no prospects of great conquests.

You say that a good cause will even sanctify war! I tell you, it is the good war that sanctifies every cause!

How lovely it is that there are words and sounds. Are not words and sounds rainbows and illusive bridges between things which are eternally apart?

Of what is great one must either be silent or speak with greatness. With greatness--that means cynically and with innocence.

And if you are not a bird, then beware of coming to rest above an abyss.

This book belongs to the most rare of men. Perhaps not one of them is yet alive. First the day after tomorrow must come for me. Some men are born posthumously.

Thus I spoke, more and more softly; for I was afraid of my own thoughts and the thoughts behind my thoughts.

Resentment, born of weakness, harms no one more than the weak person himself.

A nation is a detour of nature to arrive at five or six great men- yes, and then to get around them.

Digressions, objections, delight in mockery, carefree mistrust are signs of health; everything unconditional belongs in pathology.

In revenge and in love woman is more barbaric than man is.