Christianity remains to this day the greatest misfortune of humanity.
Many are stubborn in pursuit of the path they have chosen, few in pursuit of the goal.
Interpretation
What this quote means
People often pursue their chosen paths with determination, but few do so with the focus on achieving their ultimate goals.
This quote by Friedrich Nietzsche highlights the distinction between being obstinate in following a particular path and being dedicated to the actual attainment of one's objectives. It suggests that while many people persist firmly in their chosen journeys, only a handful maintain the necessary focus and commitment to realize the goals they aim for, reflecting the importance of aligning one's efforts with desired outcomes rather than merely sticking to a predefined route.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech to highlight the importance of staying focused on one's goals.
More from Friedrich Nietzsche
All quotes βThat which does not kill us makes us stronger.
Hope in reality is the worst of all evils because it prolongs the torments of man.
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.
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.
The anarchist and the Christian have a common origin.
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I give myself very good advice, but I very seldom follow it.
She still had her bad days, no question, when the black dog of depression sniffed her out and settled its crushing weight on her chest and breathed its pungent dog breath in her face. On those days she called in sick to the IT shop where, most days, she untangled tangled networks for a song. On those days she pulled down the shades and ran dark for twelve or twenty-four or seventy-two hours, however long it took for the black dog to go on home to its dark master.
Attacking bad books is not only a waste of time but also bad for the character. If I find a book really bad, the only interest I can derive from writing about it has to come from myself, from such display of intelligence, wit and malice as I can contrive. One cannot review a bad book without showing off.
Why is the sea king of a hundred streams? Because it lies below them... If the sage would guide the people, he must serve with humility. If he would lead them, he must follow behind. In this way when the sage rules, the people will not feel oppressed.
If one has a good disposition, what other virtue is needed? If a man has fame, what is the value of other ornamentation?