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A certain sense of cruelty towards oneself and others is Christian; hatred of those who think differently; the will to persecute. Mortal hostility against the masters of the earth, against the 'noble', that is also Christian; hatred of mind, of pride, courage, freedom, libertinage of mind, is Christian; hatred of the senses, of joy in general, is Christian.
Friedrich Nietzsche
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Nietzsche critiques the negative qualities associated with Christian morality, such as self-hatred and hostility towards others.

In this quote, Friedrich Nietzsche explores the darker aspects of Christian morality, suggesting that it often embodies cruelty, hatred towards differing perspectives, and a disdain for qualities such as pride, courage, and joy. He argues that these sentiments promote an oppressive mindset, focusing on the negative aspects of human experience while stifling individual freedom and happiness.

Themes

ChristianityMoralityCrueltyHatredFreedomJoy

In practice

Example use cases

In a philosophical discussion on the nature of morality.

More from Friedrich Nietzsche

Christianity remains to this day the greatest misfortune of humanity.
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That 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 — as if happiness sat on the throne. Often, mud sits on the throne — 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.
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