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Conversation with a friend will only bear good fruit of knowledge when both think only of the matter under consideration and forget that they are friends.
Friedrich Nietzsche
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Interpretation

What this quote means

True knowledge comes from focused conversation, not personal ties.

Friedrich Nietzsche suggests that in order for a conversation between friends to be fruitful in terms of knowledge, both individuals must set aside their personal relationship and concentrate solely on the topic at hand. This emphasizes the importance of objectivity and intellectual engagement over emotional ties in discussions that aim for deeper understanding.

Themes

ConversationKnowledgeFriendshipObjectivityDiscussion

In practice

Example use cases

Referencing this quote when giving a talk about effective communication skills.

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Christianity remains to this day the greatest misfortune of humanity.
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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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The anarchist and the Christian have a common origin.
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