Christianity remains to this day the greatest misfortune of humanity.
Friedrich NietzscheRead
We have to be careful that in throwing out the devil, we don't throw out the best part of ourselves.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Be cautious in rejecting negative aspects of oneself, as it may lead to losing valuable qualities.
Friedrich Nietzsche's quote reflects the idea that while it is important to eliminate harmful or negative traits, one must also be careful not to discard the positive and valuable aspects of their character. The 'devil' symbolizes the darker parts of ourselves, but those parts can also contribute significantly to our identity and humanity. Thus, a balance must be found to maintain both the good and the bad that make us whole.
Themes
Self-AwarenessIdentityBalanceSelf-ImprovementNihilism
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about personal growth, one might say, 'We have to be careful that in throwing out the devil, we don't throw out the best part of ourselves.'
More from Friedrich Nietzsche
All quotes βThat which does not kill us makes us stronger.
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Hope in reality is the worst of all evils because it prolongs the torments of man.
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Watch them clamber, these swift monkeys! They clamber over one another and thus drag one another into the mud and the depth. They all want to get to the throne: that is their madness β as if happiness sat on the throne. Often, mud sits on the throne β and often the throne also on mud. Mad they all appear to me, clambering monkeys and overardent. Foul smells their idol, the cold monster: foul, they smell to me altogether, these idolators.
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Reason is the cause of our falsification of the evidence of the senses. In so far as the senses show becoming, passing away, change, they do not lie.
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The anarchist and the Christian have a common origin.
Friedrich NietzscheRead
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