Thus Spoke Zarathustra Best Quotes

Courage, however, is the best slayer—courage which attacks: which slays even death itself, for it says, 'Was that life? Well then! Once more!

Behind your thoughts and feelings, my brother, there is a mighty lord, an unknown sage - his name is self; he dwells in your body, he is your body. There is more reason in your body than in your best wisdom.

Physician, heal thyself: then wilt thou also heal thy patient. Let it be his best cure to see with his eyes him who maketh himself whole.

Women are still cats and birds. Or at the best, cows.

Precisely the least thing, the gentlest, lightest, the rustling of a lizard, a breath, a moment, a twinkling of the eye - little makes up the quality of the best happiness. Soft!

There is more wisdom in your body than in your best wisdom. And who then knows why your body needs precisely your best wisdom?

But even your best love is only an enraptured simile and a painful ardour. It is a torch to light you to loftier paths.

And he will also find the little god whom girls like best: beside the well he lies, still, with his eyes shut. Verily, in bright daylight he fell asleep, the sluggard! Did he chase after the butterflies too much?... He may cry and weep - but he is laughable even when he weeps. And with tears in his eyes he shall ask you for a dance and I myself will sing a song for his dance: a dancing and mocking song on the spirit of gravity... (p.108 - The Dancing Song)

Man is evil'—so said to me for consolation, all the wisest ones. Ah, if only it be still true today! For the evil is man's best force. 'Man must become better and eviler'—so do I teach. The evilest is necessary for the Superman's best. It may have been well for the preacher of the petty people to suffer and be burdened by men's sin. I, however, rejoice in great sin as my great consolation.— Such things, however, are not said for long ears. Every word, also, is not suited for every mouth. These are fine far-away things: at them sheep's claws shall not grasp!

If, however, thou hast a suffering friend, then be a resting-place for his suffering; like a hard bed, however, a camp-bed: thus wilt thou serve him best. And if a friend doeth thee wrong, then say: "I forgive thee what thou hast done unto me; that thou hast done it unto THYSELF, however--how could I forgive that!" Thus speaketh all great love: it surpasseth even forgiveness and pity. One should hold fast one's heart; for when one letteth it go, how quickly doth one's head run away!

For, my brothers, the best should rule, the best also want to rule. And where the doctrine is different, there — the best is lacking.

The body is a great sage, a Many with One purpose, a war and a peace, a flock and a shepherd … There is more sense in your body than in your best wisdom.

If you must be a servant, then seek him whom you can serve best!

I ascended, I ascended, I dreamt, I thought,—but everything oppressed me. A sick one did I resemble, whom bad torture wearieth, and a worse dream reawakeneth out of his first sleep.— But there is something in me which I call courage: it hath hitherto slain for me every dejection. This courage at last bade me stand still and say: "Dwarf! Thou! Or I!"— For courage is the best slayer,—courage which attacketh: for in every attack there is sound of triumph. Man, however, is the most courageous animal: thereby hath he overcome every animal. With sound of triumph hath he overcome every pain; human pain, however, is the sorest pain. Courage slayeth also giddiness at abysses: and where doth man not stand at abysses! Is not seeing itself—seeing abysses? Courage is the best slayer: courage slayeth also fellow-suffering. Fellow-suffering, however, is the deepest abyss: as deeply as man looketh into life, so deeply also doth he look into suffering. Courage, however, is the best slayer, courage which attacketh: it slayeth even death itself; for it saith: "Was that life? Well! Once more!

This is the manner of noble souls: they do not want to have anything for nothing; least of all, life. Whoever is of the mob wants to live for nothing; we others, however, to whom life gave itself, we always think about what we might best give in return. And verily, that is a noble speech which says, “What life promises us, we ourselves want to keep to life.” One shall not wish to enjoy where one does not give joy. And one shall not wish to enjoy! For enjoyment and innocence are the most bashful things: both do not want to be sought. One shall possess them – but rather seek even guilt and suffering.

Since humanity came into being, man hath enjoyed himself too little: that alone, my brethren, is our original sin! And when we learn better to enjoy ourselves, then do we unlearn best to give pain unto others, and to contrive pain. Therefore do I wash the hand that hath helped the sufferer; therefore do I wipe also my soul. For in seeing the sufferer suffering – thereof was I ashamed on account of his shame; and in helping him, sorely did I wound his pride.

O happiness! O happiness! Wilt thou perhaps sing, O my soul? Thou liest in the grass. But this is the secret, solemn hour, when no shepherd playeth his pipe. Take care! Hot noontide sleepeth on the fields. Do not sing! Hush! The world is perfect. Do not sing, thou prairie-bird, my soul! Do not even whisper! Lo—hush! The old noontide sleepeth, it moveth its mouth: doth it not just now drink a drop of happiness— —An old brown drop of golden happiness, golden wine? Something whisketh over it, its happiness laugheth. Thus—laugheth a God. Hush! "For happiness, how little sufficeth for happiness!" Thus spoke I once and thought myself wise. But it was a blasphemy: that have I now learned. Wise fools speak better. The least thing precisely, the gentlest thing, the lightest thing, a lizard's rustling, a breath, a whisk, an eye-glance—little maketh up the best happiness. Hush!

Where solitude ends, there begins the market-place; and where the market-place begins, there begins also the noise of the great actors, and the buzzing of the poison-flies. In the world even the best things are worthless without those who make a side-show of them: these showmen, the people call great men.

Es gibt in der Welt viel Kot: so viel ist wahr! Aber darum ist die Welt selber noch kein kotiges Ungeheuer! Es ist Weisheit darin, daß vieles in der Welt übel riecht: der Ekel selber schafft Flügel und quellenahnende Kräfte! An dem Besten ist noch etwas zum Ekeln; und der Beste ist noch etwas, das überwunden werden muß! — O meine Brüder, es ist viel Weisheit darin, daß viel Kot in der Welt ist! —

There is in the world much filth: SO MUCH is true! But the world itself is not therefore a filthy monster! There is wisdom in the fact that much in the world smelleth badly: loathing itself createth wings, and fountain-divining powers! In the best there is still something to loathe; and the best is still something that must be surpassed!— O my brethren, there is much wisdom in the fact that much filth is in the world!—

Man is evil"—so said to me for consolation, all the wisest ones. Ah, if only it be still true today! For the evil is man's best force. "Man must become better and eviler"—so do I teach. The evilest is necessary for the Superman's best. It may have been well for the preacher of the petty people to suffer and be burdened by men's sin. I, however, rejoice in great sin as my great consolation.— Such things, however, are not said for long ears. Every word, also, is not suited for every mouth. These are fine far-away things: at them sheep's claws shall not grasp!

Every one regardeth dying as a great matter: but as yet death is not a festival. Not yet have people learned to inaugurate the finest festivals. The consummating death I show unto you, which becometh a stimulus and promise to the living. His death, dieth the consummating one triumphantly, surrounded by hoping and promising ones. Thus should one learn to die; and there should be no festival at which such a dying one doth not consecrate the oaths of the living! Thus to die is best; the next best, however, is to die in battle, and sacrifice a great soul. But to the fighter equally hateful as to the victor, is your grinning death which stealeth nigh like a thief, — and yet cometh as master. My death, praise I unto you, the voluntary death, which cometh unto me because I want it.

Ehre und Scham vor dem Schlafe! Das ist das Erste! Und Allen aus dem Wege gehn, die schlecht schlafen und Nachts wachen! Schamhaft ist noch der Dieb vor dem Schlafe: stets stiehlt er sich leise durch die Nacht. Schamlos aber ist der Wächter der Nacht, schamlos trägt er sein Horn. Keine geringe Kunst ist schlafen: es thut schon Noth, den ganzen Tag darauf hin zu wachen. Zehn Mal musst du des Tages dich selber überwinden: das macht eine gute Müdigkeit und ist Mohn der Seele. Zehn Mal musst du dich wieder dir selber versöhnen; denn Überwindung ist Bitterniss, und schlecht schläft der Unversöhnte. Zehn Wahrheiten musst du des Tages finden: sonst suchst du noch des Nachts nach Wahrheit, und deine Seele blieb hungrig. Zehn Mal musst du lachen am Tage und heiter sein: sonst stört dich der Magen in der Nacht, dieser Vater der Trübsal. Wenige wissen das: aber man muss alle Tugenden haben, um gut zu schlafen. Werde ich falsch Zeugniss reden? Werde ich ehebrechen? Werde ich mich gelüsten lassen meines Nächsten Magd? Das Alles vertrüge sich schlecht mit gutem Schlafe. Und selbst wenn man alle Tugenden hat, muss man sich noch auf Eins verstehn: selber die Tugenden zur rechten Zeit schlafen schicken. Dass sie sich nicht mit einander zanken, die artigen Weiblein! Und über dich, du Unglückseliger! Friede mit Gott und dem Nachbar: so will es der gute Schlaf. Und Friede auch noch mit des Nachbars Teufel! Sonst geht er bei dir des Nachts um. Ehre der Obrigkeit und Gehorsam, und auch der krummen Obrigkeit! So will es der gute Schlaf. Was kann ich dafür, dass die Macht gerne auf krummen Beinen Wandelt? Der soll mir immer der beste Hirt heissen, der sein Schaf auf die grünste Aue führt: so verträgt es sich mit dem gutem Schlafe. Viel Ehren will ich nicht, noch grosse Schätze: das entzündet die Milz. Aber schlecht schläft es sich ohne einen guten Namen und einen kleinen Schatz. Eine kleine Gesellschaft ist mir willkommener als eine böse: doch muss sie gehn und kommen zur rechten Zeit. So verträgt es sich mit gutem Schlafe. Sehr gefallen mir auch die Geistig-Armen: sie fördern den Schlaf. Selig sind die, sonderlich, wenn man ihnen immer Recht giebt. Also läuft der Tag dem Tugendsamen. Kommt nun die Nacht, so hüte ich mich wohl, den Schlaf zu rufen! Nicht will er gerufen sein, der Schlaf, der der Herr der Tugenden ist! Sondern ich denke, was ich des Tages gethan und gedacht. Wiederkäuend frage ich mich, geduldsam gleich einer Kuh: welches waren doch deine zehn Überwindungen? Und welches waren die zehn Versöhnungen und die zehn Wahrheiten und die zehn Gelächter, mit denen sich mein Herz gütlich that? Solcherlei erwägend und gewiegt von vierzig Gedanken, überfällt mich auf einmal der Schlaf, der Ungerufne, der Herr der Tugenden. Der Schlaf klopft mir auf meine Auge: da wird es schwer. Der Schlaf berührt mir den Mund: da bleibt er offen. Wahrlich, auf weichen Sohlen kommt er mir, der liebste der Diebe, und stiehlt mir meine Gedanken: dumm stehe ich da wie dieser Lehrstuhl. Aber nicht lange mehr stehe ich dann: da liege ich schon.

I call it evil and misanthropic, all this teaching about the one and the perfect and the unmoved and the sufficient and the intransitory. All that is intransitory – that is but an image!14 And the poets lie too much. But the best images and parables should speak of time and becoming: they should be a eulogy and a justification of all transitoriness. Creation – that is the great redemption from suffering, and life’s easement. But that the creator may exist, that itself requires suffering and much transformation.