Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, 1844-1900, left behind hundreds
of philosophical quotations, many of which, despite the sometimes dated language, are as relevant to the world today as they were when written in 19th century Europe. Known as a German philosopher he was born in Prussia, as a citizen of one of the states belonging to the German Confederation in the years before the formation of a German nation state, however Nietzsche was officially stateless when he died, having renounced his Prussian nationality after moving to Basel in Switzerland.
You must have chaos in your soul to give birth to a dancing star
He who has a 'WHY' to live for can bear almost any 'HOW'
A pair of powerful spectacles has sometimes sufficed to cure a person in love
That which does not kill us, makes us stronger
A subject for a great poet would be God's boredom after the seventh day of creation
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
To forget one's purpose is the commonest form of stupidity
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
There is not enough love and goodness in the world to permit giving any of it away to imaginary beings
You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist
Without music, life would be a mistake
We are always in our own company
Convictions are more dangerous foes of truth than lies
At times one remains faithful to a cause only because its opponents do not cease to be insipid
Two great European narcotics, alcohol and Christianity
The 'kingdom of Heaven' is a condition of the heart - not something that comes 'upon the earth' or 'after death'.
What is done out of love always takes place beyond good and evil
The desire to annoy no one, to harm no one, can equally well be the sign of a ‘just’ as of an ‘anxious’ disposition
The doer alone learneth
Those who cannot understand how to put their thoughts on ice should not enter into the heat of debate
To live is to suffer; to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering
There is more wisdom in your body than in your deepest philosophy
Talking much about oneself can also be a means to conceal oneself
The true man wants two things: danger and play. For that reason he wants woman, as the most dangerous plaything
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
Quotations from Friedrich Nietzsche, Philosopher, 1844 - 1900
The Portable Nietzsche (Portable Library) - A brilliant introduction to the insightful, witty, and sometimes cynical, writings of Nietzsche, which explore a wide range of subjects, ranging from friendship and Christianity to dancing and war. Walter Kaufmann, who edited and translated the book, has also added interesting extra background information as well as analyzing many of the pieces. An excellent way to become familiar with Nietzsche, his life, philosophy and writing.
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