Thus Spoke Zarathustra
Friedrich Nietzsche
3,679 passages indexed from Thus Spoke Zarathustra (Friedrich Nietzsche) — Page 28 of 74
License: Public Domain
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 1856
And what have I hated more than passing clouds, and whatever tainteth thee? And mine own hatred have I even hated, because it tainted thee!
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 3232
Thus do all those present, the higher men. Thou, however, hast perhaps understood but little of my song? In thee there is little of the magic spirit.”
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 3481
Here Zarathustra gives names to the intellect and the instincts; he calls the one “the little sagacity” and the latter “the big sagacity.” Schopenhauer’s teaching concerning the intellect is fully endorsed here. “An instrument of thy body is also thy little sagacity, my brother, which thou callest ‘spirit,’” says Zarathustra. From beginning to end it is a warning to those who would think too lightly of the instincts and unduly exalt the intellect and its derivatives: Reason and Understanding.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 2491
Naked had I once seen both of them, the greatest man and the smallest man: all too like one another—all too human, even the greatest man!
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 2537
Thy graciousness and over-graciousness, is it which will not complain and weep: and yet, O my soul, longeth thy smiling for tears, and thy trembling mouth for sobs.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 2783
—The poet and magician who at last turneth his spirit against himself, the transformed one who freezeth to death by his bad science and conscience.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 3630
This discourse contains perhaps the boldest of Nietzsche’s suggestions concerning Atheism, as well as some extremely penetrating remarks upon the sentiment of pity. Zarathustra comes across the repulsive creature sitting on the wayside, and what does he do? He manifests the only correct feelings that can be manifested in the presence of any great misery—that is to say, shame, reverence, embarrassment.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 413
It is true we love life; not because we are wont to live, but because we are wont to love.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 2771
In vain! Goad further! Cruellest goader! No dog—thy game just am I, Cruellest huntsman! Thy proudest of captives, Thou robber ’hind the cloud-banks ... Speak finally! Thou lightning-veiled one! Thou unknown one! Speak! What wilt thou, highway-ambusher, from—ME? What WILT thou, unfamiliar—God? What? Ransom-gold? How much of ransom-gold? Solicit much—that bid’th my pride! And be concise—that bid’th mine other pride!
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 2287
—Or was it a sermon of death that called holy what contradicted and dissuaded from life?—O my brethren, break up, break up for me the old tables!
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 3652
Here we are told quite plainly what class of men actually owe all their impulses and desires to the instinct of self-preservation. The struggle for existence is indeed the only spur in the case of such people. To them it matters not in what shape or condition man be preserved, provided only he survive. The transcendental maxim that “Life per se is precious” is the ruling maxim here.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 383
Thus speaketh the red judge: “Why did this criminal commit murder? He meant to rob.” I tell you, however, that his soul wanted blood, not booty: he thirsted for the happiness of the knife!
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 2215
Here do I sit and wait, old broken tables around me and also new half-written tables. When cometh mine hour?
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 2556
With crooked glances—dost thou teach me crooked courses; on crooked courses learn my feet—crafty fancies!
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 2197
Verily, neither do I like those who call everything good, and this world the best of all. Those do I call the all-satisfied.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 3598
If this hypothetical man represent the ascending line of life—that is to say, if he promise all that which is highest in a Graeco-Roman sense, then it is likely that he will be condemned as wicked if introduced into the society of men representing the opposite and descending line of life.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 750
Guard against injuring the anchorite! If ye have done so, however, well then, kill him also!—
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 1498
And another of these diseases is called “the fire-dog”: concerning HIM men have greatly deceived themselves, and let themselves be deceived.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 1056
To everything cleanly am I well disposed; but I hate to see the grinning mouths and the thirst of the unclean.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 2963
“Forgive me,” answered the shadow, “that it is I; and if I please thee not—well, O Zarathustra! therein do I admire thee and thy good taste.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 1678
Then was there spoken unto me without voice: “THOU KNOWEST IT, ZARATHUSTRA?”—
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 989
Oh, that falsified light, that mustified air! Where the soul—may not fly aloft to its height!
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 952
“Be shy in accepting! Distinguish by accepting!”—thus do I advise those who have naught to bestow.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 1028
But sure enough there are those to whom virtue meaneth writhing under the lash: and ye have hearkened too much unto their crying!
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 1496
And this is the account of Zarathustra’s interview with the fire-dog:
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 2713
—The man that is higher than we, although we are kings. To him do we convey this ass. For the highest man shall also be the highest lord on earth.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 1408
Dare only to believe in yourselves—in yourselves and in your inward parts! He who doth not believe in himself always lieth.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 1261
Only in the dance do I know how to speak the parable of the highest things:—and now hath my grandest parable remained unspoken in my limbs!
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 3267
Ye would not believe how charmingly they sat there, when they did not dance, profound, but without thoughts, like little secrets, like beribboned riddles, like dessert-nuts—
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 371
“Mine ego is something which is to be surpassed: mine ego is to me the great contempt of man”: so speaketh it out of that eye.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 2084
Here do all things come caressingly to thy talk and flatter thee: for they want to ride upon thy back. On every simile dost thou here ride to every truth.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 507
A state, is called the coldest of all cold monsters. Coldly lieth it also; and this lie creepeth from its mouth: “I, the state, am the people.”
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 2519
O my soul, I washed the petty shame and the by-place virtue from thee, and persuaded thee to stand naked before the eyes of the sun.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 3545
This is an example of a class of writing which may be passed over too lightly by those whom poetasters have made distrustful of poetry. From first to last it is extremely valuable as an autobiographical note. The inevitable superficiality of the rabble is contrasted with the peaceful and profound depths of the anchorite. Here we first get a direct hint concerning Nietzsche’s fundamental passion—the main force behind all his new values and scathing criticism of existing values.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 2761
—“As the evidence indicateth,” broke in Zarathustra; for still was the blood flowing down on the naked arm of the conscientious one. For there had ten leeches bitten into it.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 2408
And whatever harm the wicked may do, the harm of the good is the harmfulest harm!
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 3098
With the new morning, however, there came unto me a new truth: then did I learn to say: “Of what account to me are market-place and populace and populace-noise and long populace-ears!”
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 338
To the despisers of the body will I speak a word. That they despise is caused by their esteem. What is it that created esteeming and despising and worth and will?
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 2529
O my soul, exuberant and heavy dost thou now stand forth, a vine with swelling udders and full clusters of brown golden grapes:—
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 94
The saint laughed at Zarathustra, and spake thus: “Then see to it that they accept thy treasures! They are distrustful of anchorites, and do not believe that we come with gifts.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 2307
Such ancient babbling still passeth for “wisdom”; because it is old, however, and smelleth mustily, THEREFORE is it the more honoured. Even mould ennobleth.—
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 2760
Because THOU once saidest, O Zarathustra: ‘Spirit is life which itself cutteth into life’;—that led and allured me to thy doctrine. And verily, with mine own blood have I increased mine own knowledge!”
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 317
Many sickly ones have there always been among those who muse, and languish for God; violently they hate the discerning ones, and the latest of virtues, which is uprightness.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 3425
At my work I want to be, at my day: but they understand not what are the signs of my morning, my step—is not for them the awakening-call.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 1850
We do not speak to each other, because we know too much—: we keep silent to each other, we smile our knowledge to each other.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 3513
People have sometimes said that Nietzsche had no sense of humour. I have no intention of defending him here against such foolish critics; I should only like to point out to the reader that we have him here at his best, poking fun at himself, and at his fellow-poets (see Note on Chapter LXIII., pars. 16, 17, 18, 19, 20).
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 2101
Everything among them talketh; no one knoweth any longer how to understand. Everything falleth into the water; nothing falleth any longer into deep wells.
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 1768
Courage, however, is the best slayer, courage which attacketh: it slayeth even death itself; for it saith: “WAS THAT life? Well! Once more!”
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 2592
Never yet have I found the woman by whom I should like to have children, unless it be this woman whom I love: for I love thee, O Eternity!
Thus Spoke Zarathustra, passage 3192
Lift up your hearts, my brethren, high, higher! And do not forget your legs! Lift up also your legs, ye good dancers, and better still if ye stand upon your heads!