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The wisest man would be the one richest in contradictions, who has, as it were, antennae for all types of men---as well as his great moments of grand harmony---a rare accident even in us! A sort of planetary motion---
Friedrich Nietzsche
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Wisdom encompasses understanding diverse perspectives and embracing contradictions.

In this quote, Friedrich Nietzsche suggests that true wisdom lies in the ability to recognize and accept contradictions within oneself and others. A wise individual is not only adept at harmonizing differing opinions and experiences but also possesses an innate sensitivity to the complexities of human nature, much like how planets move in their orbits, showing a dynamic balance amid chaos.

Themes

WisdomContradictionsUnderstandingHuman NaturePhilosophy

In practice

Example use cases

In a discussion on leadership styles, this quote could highlight the importance of adaptability.

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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