And if you are not a bird, then beware of coming to rest above an abyss.
Friedrich Nietzsche
- Life
- 1844-1900
- Occupations
- philosopher, poet, writer
- Notable works
- Thus Spoke Zarathustra, The Birth of Tragedy, Untimely Meditations
Facts: Wikidata (CC0), as of 2026-07-09
He who fights against monsters should see to it that he does not become a monster in the process. And when you stare persistently into an abyss, the abyss also stares into you.
Friedrich Nietzsche
He who has a 'why' to live for, can bear with almost any 'how'
Friedrich Nietzsche
How good bad music and bad reasons sound when we are marching into battle against an enemy.
Friedrich Nietzsche
How little it takes to make us happy! The sound of a bagpipe. Without music life would be a mistake. The German even imagines God as singing songs.
Friedrich Nietzsche
In heaven, all the interesting people are missing.
Friedrich Nietzsche
In revenge and in love woman is more barbaric than man is.
Friedrich Nietzsche
In war personal revenge maintains its silence.
Friedrich Nietzsche
Mankind is a rope tied between beast and superman—a rope over an abyss.
Friedrich Nietzsche
There is no better soporific and sedative than skepticism.
Friedrich Nietzsche
Through music the passions enjoy themselves.
Friedrich Nietzsche
We should consider every day lost on which we have not danced at least once. And we should call every truth false which was not accompanied by at least one laugh.
Friedrich Nietzsche
You have overcome yourself: but why do you show yourself to me only as the one overcome? I want to see the victor: cast roses into the abyss and say, “Here is my thanks to the monster, because it didn’t know how to swallow me!”
Friedrich Nietzsche