Friedrich Nietzsche Quotes

Powerful Friedrich Nietzsche for Daily Growth

About Friedrich Nietzsche

Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche, born on October 15, 1844, in Röcken, Prussia, was a German philosopher, cultural critic, and philologist whose work has profoundly influenced modern intellectual history. Known for his complex ideas on morality, religion, and culture, he is often considered one of the most important thinkers of the nineteenth century. Nietzsche's early life was marked by academic excellence. He studied theology and philology at the University of Bonn before moving to Leipzig, where he earned his doctorate in 1869 with a thesis on Greek literature. His next significant post was as a professor of classical philology at the University of Basel, Switzerland, at the tender age of 24, a position he held until his resignation in 1879 due to health issues. Influenced by scholars like Schopenhauer and Richard Wagner, Nietzsche's philosophical journey led him to question traditional moral values, religions, and even the concept of God. His major works include "The Birth of Tragedy" (1872), "Thus Spoke Zarathustra" (1883-1885), "On the Genealogy of Morals" (1887), and "Beyond Good and Evil" (1886). Perhaps his most famous quote, "God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him," from "The Gay Science," encapsulates his belief in the death of traditional religious values and the need for individuals to create their own moral systems. However, it was Nietzsche's concept of 'Ubermensch' or 'superman,' who embodies a self-directed, strong, and ethical will, that has sparked significant debate. In 1889, at the age of 45, Nietzsche suffered a mental breakdown due to what is believed to be a combination of physical illness, exhaustion, and stress. He lived in relative obscurity until his death on August 25, 1900. Despite his early demise, Nietzsche's works continue to inspire and provoke thought in philosophical, literary, and cultural circles worldwide.

Interpretations of Popular Quotes

"Blessed are the forgetful: for they get the better even of their blunders."

This quote suggests that those who can easily let go of past mistakes or errors, forgiving themselves for them, have a distinct advantage in life. They are "blessed" because they learn from their mistakes without dwelling on them, which allows them to continue growing and improving. In essence, Nietzsche is saying that forgetfulness in this context can be beneficial as it helps people to get past their own shortcomings and move forward with a positive outlook on life.


"He who fights with monsters should be careful lest he thereby become a monster. And if thou gaze long into an abyss, the abyss will also gaze into thee."

This quote by Friedrich Nietzsche warns about the potential danger of engaging in harmful or immoral acts (fighting with monsters). It suggests that individuals who engage in these activities risk becoming corrupted themselves, adopting the very qualities they sought to combat. Additionally, it highlights the power of negative influences; if one spends too much time contemplating darkness (gazing into an abyss), they may find that the darkness also affects them, influencing their thoughts, emotions, and actions. In essence, Nietzsche reminds us to be mindful when dealing with unwholesome situations or people, as our actions can shape who we are and what we become.


"That which does not kill us makes us stronger."

This quote by Friedrich Nietzsche suggests that adversity or hardship can lead to personal growth, resilience, and strength. It implies that when we confront challenges and survive them, our character is reinforced and we emerge more robust. The quote emphasizes the transformative power of overcoming obstacles and encourages people to persevere through difficult times, knowing they will come out stronger on the other side.


"The secret of life is to act in spite of fear."

This quote by Friedrich Nietzsche encourages embracing action despite feelings of fear, suggesting that overcoming fear is essential for a fulfilling life. It implies that fear should not be allowed to prevent us from living our lives to the fullest or pursuing our dreams and ambitions. Instead, we should face our fears head-on and take decisive action, thus unlocking our true potential and achieving greater fulfillment.


"What is good? All that heightens the feeling of power, the will to power, power itself in man."

This quote by Friedrich Nietzsche suggests that 'good' for him lies in actions or experiences that enhance a person's sense of power, will to power, or pure power itself. In other words, he believed that human nature is fundamentally driven by the desire to exert control and influence over one's life, others, or the world around them. This interpretation emphasizes personal growth, ambition, and self-mastery as key aspects of a fulfilling life, according to Nietzsche's perspective.


Faith: not wanting to know what is true.

- Friedrich Nietzsche

True, Know, Wanting, Faith

A casual stroll through the lunatic asylum shows that faith does not prove anything.

- Friedrich Nietzsche

Through, Shows, Lunatic, Faith

The irrationality of a thing is no argument against its existence, rather a condition of it.

- Friedrich Nietzsche

Condition, Irrationality, Argument

When one has not had a good father, one must create one.

- Friedrich Nietzsche

Father, Good Father, Dad, Create

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.

- Friedrich Nietzsche

Will, Always, Individual, Yourself

To forget one's purpose is the commonest form of stupidity.

- Friedrich Nietzsche

Purpose, Forget, Form, Stupidity

Admiration for a quality or an art can be so strong that it deters us from striving to possess it.

- Friedrich Nietzsche

Art, Strong, Admiration, Striving

The desire to annoy no one, to harm no one, can equally well be the sign of a just as of an anxious disposition.

- Friedrich Nietzsche

Desire, Annoy, Anxious, Disposition

God is dead. God remains dead. And we have killed him. Yet his shadow still looms. How shall we comfort ourselves, the murderers of all murderers? What was holiest and mightiest of all that the world has yet owned has bled to death under our knives; who will wipe this blood off us? What water is there for us to clean ourselves?

- Friedrich Nietzsche

Death, Shadow, Bled, Remains

At times one remains faithful to a cause only because its opponents do not cease to be insipid.

- Friedrich Nietzsche

Cease, Times, Opponents, Remains

Undeserved praise causes more pangs of conscience later than undeserved blame, but probably only for this reason, that our power of judgment are more completely exposed by being over praised than by being unjustly underestimated.

- Friedrich Nietzsche

Reason, Over, Praised, Undeserved

In every real man a child is hidden that wants to play.

- Friedrich Nietzsche

Play, Hidden, Wants, Child

There is more wisdom in your body than in your deepest philosophy.

- Friedrich Nietzsche

More, Deepest, Than, Your Body

There are horrible people who, instead of solving a problem, tangle it up and make it harder to solve for anyone who wants to deal with it. Whoever does not know how to hit the nail on the head should be asked not to hit it at all.

- Friedrich Nietzsche

Head, Deal, Solving, Tangle

One must still have chaos in oneself to be able to give birth to a dancing star.

- Friedrich Nietzsche

Dancing, Give, Still, Oneself

Whatever is done for love always occurs beyond good and evil.

- Friedrich Nietzsche

Love, Good And Evil, Always, Occurs

In the consciousness of the truth he has perceived, man now sees everywhere only the awfulness or the absurdity of existence and loathing seizes him.

- Friedrich Nietzsche

Existence, Consciousness, Perceived

A woman may very well form a friendship with a man, but for this to endure, it must be assisted by a little physical antipathy.

- Friedrich Nietzsche

Friendship, Woman, Very, Antipathy

It says nothing against the ripeness of a spirit that it has a few worms.

- Friedrich Nietzsche

Spirit, Nothing, Against, Worms

There is not enough love and goodness in the world to permit giving any of it away to imaginary beings.

- Friedrich Nietzsche

Love, World, Away, Imaginary

War has always been the grand sagacity of every spirit which has grown too inward and too profound; its curative power lies even in the wounds one receives.

- Friedrich Nietzsche

Always, Been, Which, Inward

To use the same words is not a sufficient guarantee of understanding; one must use the same words for the same genus of inward experience; ultimately one must have one's experiences in common.

- Friedrich Nietzsche

Words, Guarantee, Use, Inward

He who has a why to live can bear almost any how.

- Friedrich Nietzsche

Life, How, Almost, Bear

Shared joys make a friend, not shared sufferings.

- Friedrich Nietzsche

Friend, Shared, Make, Sufferings

Our treasure lies in the beehive of our knowledge. We are perpetually on the way thither, being by nature winged insects and honey gatherers of the mind.

- Friedrich Nietzsche

Nature, Mind, Perpetually, Winged

Thoughts are the shadows of our feelings - always darker, emptier and simpler.

- Friedrich Nietzsche

Thoughts, Always, Darker, Simpler

The press, the machine, the railway, the telegraph are premises whose thousand-year conclusion no one has yet dared to draw.

- Friedrich Nietzsche

Whose, Draw, Telegraph, Premises

Regarding life, the wisest men of all ages have judged alike: it is worthless.

- Friedrich Nietzsche

Men, Worthless, Alike, Regarding

One often contradicts an opinion when what is uncongenial is really the tone in which it was conveyed.

- Friedrich Nietzsche

Tone, Often, Which, Conveyed

An artist has no home in Europe except in Paris.

- Friedrich Nietzsche

Paris, Artist, Except, Europe

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