Friedrich Nietzsche

collection of quotes by Friedrich Nietzsche

Here is a compilation of thought-provoking and profound quotes from Friedrich Nietzsche, the German philosopher renowned for his insights on existentialism, morality, art, and the human condition:

On Life and Existence:

“He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.”
“To live is to suffer, to survive is to find some meaning in the suffering.”
“That which does not kill us makes us stronger.”
“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.”
“Become who you are.”
“He who fights with monsters should be careful lest he thereby become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”

On Truth and Knowledge:

“There are no facts, only interpretations.”
“Sometimes people don’t want to hear the truth because they don’t want their illusions destroyed.”
“All things are subject to interpretation. Whichever interpretation prevails at a given time is a function of power and not truth.”
“In individuals, insanity is rare; but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule.”
“We have art in order not to die of the truth.”
“The more abstract the truth you wish to teach, the more you must allure the senses to it.”

On Morality and Ethics:

“Morality is the herd-instinct in the individual.”
“What is good? All that heightens the feeling of power, the will to power, power itself in man. What is bad? All that proceeds from weakness.”
“He who obeys, does not listen to himself!”
“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster.”
“There is always some madness in love. But there is also always some reason in madness.”

On Power and Will:

“The will to power can manifest itself only against resistances; therefore it seeks that which resists it—this is the primeval tendency of the protoplasm.”
“The world itself is the will to power—and nothing else! And you yourself are the will to power—and nothing else!”
“You have your way. I have my way. As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist.”
“In the end, one experiences only oneself.”
“He who cannot obey himself will be commanded. That is the nature of living creatures.”

On Love and Relationships:

“It is not a lack of love, but a lack of friendship that makes unhappy marriages.”
“The man of knowledge must be able not only to love his enemies but also to hate his friends.”
“There is more wisdom in your body than in your deepest philosophy.”
“Invisible threads are the strongest ties.”
“We love life, not because we are used to living but because we are used to loving.”

On Suffering and Struggle:

“The higher we soar, the smaller we appear to those who cannot fly.”
“To forget one’s purpose is the commonest form of stupidity.”
“You must have chaos within you to give birth to a dancing star.”
“Is life not a thousand times too short for us to bore ourselves?”
“One must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star.”

On Freedom and Individuality:

“And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.”
“The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently.”
“The higher man is distinguished from the lower by his fearlessness and his readiness to challenge the unknown.”
“No one can construct for you the bridge upon which precisely you must cross the stream of life, no one but you yourself alone.”
“The snake which cannot cast its skin has to die. As well the minds which are prevented from changing their opinions; they cease to be mind.”

On Art and Creativity:

“Without music, life would be a mistake.”
“Art is the proper task of life.”
“The essence of all beautiful art, all great art, is gratitude.”
“One must give value to their existence by behaving as if one’s very existence were a work of art.”
“Poets are shameless with their experiences: they exploit them.”

On Society and Culture:

“State is the name of the coldest of all cold monsters. Coldly it lies; and this lie creeps from its mouth: ‘I, the state, am the people.’”
“The surest way to corrupt a youth is to instruct him to hold in higher esteem those who think alike than those who think differently.”
“Every deep thinker is more afraid of being understood than of being misunderstood.”
“Man is the cruelest animal.”
“A casual stroll through the lunatic asylum shows that faith does not prove anything.”

On Death and Eternity:

“He who has seen everything empty itself is close to knowing what everything is filled with.”
“What does not kill me makes me stronger.”
“When one has not had a good father, one must create one.”

Nietzsche’s quotes challenge conventional wisdom and stimulate deeper contemplation about existence, power, morality, and individuality. His ideas frequently encourage introspection and a more critical perspective on societal norms and personal beliefs.