Christianity remains to this day the greatest misfortune of humanity.
When Zarathustra was alone . . . he said to his heart: "Could it be possible! This old saint in the forest hath not yet heard of it, that God is dead!"
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the profound realization that traditional beliefs may no longer hold relevance in modern thought.
In this quote, Nietzsche presents a moment of introspection where Zarathustra acknowledges the death of God as a transformative idea that has yet to reach those who cling to outdated spiritual beliefs. It signifies a shift in perspective, questioning the foundations of morality and existence in a world where the divine is no longer a guiding force. This declaration serves as both a profound statement on the state of humanity and an invitation to explore new ways of understanding life beyond religious frameworks.
Themes
In practice
Example use cases
In a philosophical debate on the relevance of religion today.
More from Friedrich Nietzsche
All quotes →That 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 — 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.
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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Even if one is neither vain nor self-obsessed, it is so extraordinary to be oneself - exactly oneself and no one else - and so unique, that it seems natural that one should also be unique for someone else.
God made me an Indian, but not a reservation Indian.
And then he greeted Death as an old friend, and went with him gladly, and, equals, they departed this life.
As God talked with Arjuna, so will He talk with you. As He lifted up the spirit and consciousness of Arjuna, so will He uplift you. As he granted Arjuna supreme spiritual vision, so will He confer enlightenment on you.
O, to be sure, we laugh less and play less and wear uncomfortable disguises like adults, but beneath the costume is the child we always are, whose needs are simple, whose daily life is still best described by fairy tales.