Thus Spoke Zarathustra
Friedrich Nietzsche
3,679 passages indexed from Thus Spoke Zarathustra (Friedrich Nietzsche) — Page 10 of 74
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Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 3453
These directions, though they are by no means simple to carry out, seem at least to possess the quality of definiteness and straightforwardness. “Follow them and all will be clear,” I seem to imply. But I regret to say that this is not really the case. For my experience tells me that even after the above directions have been followed with the greatest possible zeal, the student will still halt in perplexity before certain passages in the book before us, and wonder what they mean. Now, it is with the view of giving a little additional help to all those who find themselves in this position that I proceed to put forth my own personal interpretation of the more abstruse passages in this work.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 1617
Away from those fabulous songs did I lead you when I taught you: “The Will is a creator.”
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 3642
Nothing liveth any longer that I love,—how should I still love myself! Have I still a goal? Where is MY home?” Zarathustra realises the danger threatening such a man. “Thy danger is not small, thou free spirit and wanderer,” he says. “Thou hast had a bad day. See that a still worse evening doth not overtake thee!” The danger Zarathustra refers to is precisely this, that even a prison may seem a blessing to such a man.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 1804
With such enigmas and bitterness in his heart did Zarathustra sail o’er the sea. When, however, he was four day-journeys from the Happy Isles and from his friends, then had he surmounted all his pain—: triumphantly and with firm foot did he again accept his fate. And then talked Zarathustra in this wise to his exulting conscience:
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 2359
And THIS is its art: it divineth where ascending souls are weary, in your trouble and dejection, in your sensitive modesty, doth it build its loathsome nest.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 1901
To small virtues would they fain lure and laud me; to the ticktack of small happiness would they fain persuade my foot.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 3105
Well! Take heart! ye higher men! Now only travaileth the mountain of the human future. God hath died: now do WE desire—the Superman to live.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 92
If, however, thou wilt give unto them, give them no more than an alms, and let them also beg for it!”
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 1033
And others are there who are like eight-day clocks when wound up; they tick, and want people to call ticking—virtue.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 1404
Verily, ye fill your mouth with noble words: and we are to believe that your heart overfloweth, ye cozeners?
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 1950
Winter, a bad guest, sitteth with me at home; blue are my hands with his friendly hand-shaking.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 2348
See this languishing one! Only a span-breadth is he from his goal; but from weariness hath he lain down obstinately in the dust, this brave one!
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 3612
We now meet with Zarathustra in extraordinary circumstances. He is confronted with Schopenhauer and tempted by the old Soothsayer to commit the sin of pity. “I have come that I may seduce thee to thy last sin!” says the Soothsayer to Zarathustra. It will be remembered that in Schopenhauer’s ethics, pity is elevated to the highest place among the virtues, and very consistently too, seeing that the Weltanschauung is a pessimistic one.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 754
Or doth the animal speak in thy wish, and necessity? Or isolation? Or discord in thee?
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 1788
—So that it excited my commiseration. For just then went the full moon, silent as death, over the house; just then did it stand still, a glowing globe—at rest on the flat roof, as if on some one’s property:—
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 1022
For this is your truth: ye are TOO PURE for the filth of the words: vengeance, punishment, recompense, retribution.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 2488
A cavern, became the human earth to me; its breast caved in; everything living became to me human dust and bones and mouldering past.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 1198
God’s advocate am I with the devil: he, however, is the spirit of gravity. How could I, ye light-footed ones, be hostile to divine dances? Or to maidens’ feet with fine ankles?
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 389
What is this man? A coil of wild serpents that are seldom at peace among themselves—so they go forth apart and seek prey in the world.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 233
What is the heaviest thing, ye heroes? asketh the load-bearing spirit, that I may take it upon me and rejoice in my strength.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 3241
And it is not those who lead OUT OF danger that please you best, but those who lead you away from all paths, the misleaders. But if such longing in you be ACTUAL, it seemeth to me nevertheless to be IMPOSSIBLE.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 1164
Respectable do ye there stand, and stiff, and with straight backs, ye famous wise ones!—no strong wind or will impelleth you.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 54
There is the feeling that one is completely out of hand, with the very distinct consciousness of an endless number of fine thrills and quiverings to the very toes;—there is a depth of happiness in which the painfullest and gloomiest do not operate as antitheses, but as conditioned, as demanded in the sense of necessary shades of colour in such an overflow of light.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 2752
“Then thou art perhaps an expert on the leech?” asked Zarathustra; “and thou investigatest the leech to its ultimate basis, thou conscientious one?”
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 81
Lo! This cup is again going to empty itself, and Zarathustra is again going to be a man.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 2096
Down there, however—all talking is in vain! There, forgetting and passing-by are the best wisdom: THAT have I learned now!
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 244
“Thou shalt,” lieth in its path, sparkling with gold—a scale-covered beast; and on every scale glittereth golden, “Thou shalt!”
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 101
When Zarathustra was alone, however, he said to his heart: “Could it be possible! This old saint in the forest hath not yet heard of it, that GOD IS DEAD!”
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 830
Give heed, my brethren, to every hour when your spirit would speak in similes: there is the origin of your virtue.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 3509
“He who had to create, had always his presaging dreams and astral premonitions—and believed in believing!” (See Note on Chapter LXXVII.) In the last two verses he reveals the nature of his altruism.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 3466
Strength, health, superabundance of animal spirits and power, are regarded with hate, suspicion, and fear by the subordinate class.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 2000
They are cold, and seek warmth from distilled waters: they are inflamed, and seek coolness from frozen spirits; they are all sick and sore through public opinion.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 1467
And especially ABOVE the heavens: for all Gods are poet-symbolisations, poet-sophistications!
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 3653
In the Note on Chapter LVII. (end) I speak of Nietzsche’s elevation of the virtue, Courage, to the highest place among the virtues. Here he tells higher men the class of courage he expects from them.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 365
Lo! how each of thy virtues is covetous of the highest place; it wanteth thy whole spirit to be ITS herald, it wanteth thy whole power, in wrath, hatred, and love.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 1769
In such speech, however, there is much sound of triumph. He who hath ears to hear, let him hear.—
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 1434
Good clockworks are they: only be careful to wind them up properly! Then do they indicate the hour without mistake, and make a modest noise thereby.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 3492
In regard to this discourse, I should only like to point out that Nietzsche had a particular aversion to the word “suicide”—self-murder. He disliked the evil it suggested, and in rechristening the act Voluntary Death, i.e., the death that comes from no other hand than one’s own, he was desirous of elevating it to the position it held in classical antiquity (see Aphorism 36 in “The Twilight of the Idols”).
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 3273
Here do I sit now, In this the smallest oasis, Like a date indeed, Brown, quite sweet, gold-suppurating, For rounded mouth of maiden longing, But yet still more for youthful, maidlike, Ice-cold and snow-white and incisory Front teeth: and for such assuredly, Pine the hearts all of ardent date-fruits. Selah.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 1166
Like the sail trembling with the violence of the spirit, doth my wisdom cross the sea—my wild wisdom!
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 2894
Thou art ashamed of the shame of the great sufferer; and verily when thou sayest: ‘From pity there cometh a heavy cloud; take heed, ye men!’
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 2075
And all the Gods then laughed, and shook upon their thrones, and exclaimed: “Is it not just divinity that there are Gods, but no God?”
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 1288
How doth this happen! so did I ask myself. What persuadeth the living thing to obey, and command, and even be obedient in commanding?
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 1821
And verily, it were time that I went away; and the wanderer’s shadow and the longest tedium and the stillest hour—have all said unto me: “It is the highest time!”
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 2412
It is the truth, however, that the good MUST be Pharisees—they have no choice!
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 418
And when I saw my devil, I found him serious, thorough, profound, solemn: he was the spirit of gravity—through him all things fall.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 603
If one would have a friend, then must one also be willing to wage war for him: and in order to wage war, one must be CAPABLE of being an enemy.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 1798
For it was a vision and a foresight:—WHAT did I then behold in parable? And WHO is it that must come some day?
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 1921
That, however, is—MEDIOCRITY, though it be called moderation.—
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 395
Verily, I would that their madness were called truth, or fidelity, or justice: but they have their virtue in order to live long, and in wretched self-complacency.