kyleschen

Works of art are like wine: it is better of one has need of neither, keeps to water and, through ones own inner fire and sweetness of soul, again and again transforms the water into wine on ones own account.

When virtue has slept, it will arise more vigorous.

As soon as you feel yourself against me you have ceased to understand my position and consequently my arguments! You have to be the victim of the same passion.

Do not talk about giftedness, inborn talents! One can name great men of all kinds who were very little gifted! They acquired greatness, became “geniuses” (as we put it), through qualities the lack of which no one who knew what they were would boast of: they all possessed that seriousness of the efficient workman which first learns to construct the parts properly before it ventures to fashion a great whole; they allowed themselves time for it, because they took more pleasure in making the little, secondary things well than in the effect of a dazzling whole.

*Subsequent justification of existence.* - Many ideas have entered the world as errors and fantasies but have become truths, because men have afterwards foisted upon them a substratum of reality.

*In favour of critics.* - Insects sting, not out of malice, but because they too want to live: likewise our critics; they want, not to hurt us, but to take our blood.

The discipline of suffering, of *great* suffering - do you not know that only *this* discipline has created all enhancements of man so far? That tension of the soul in unhappiness which cultivates its strength, it’s shudders face to face with great ruin, its inventiveness and courage in enduring, persevering, interpreting, and exploiting suffering, and whatever has been granted to it of profundity, secret, mask, spirit, cunning, greatness - was not granted to it through suffering, through the discipline of great suffering?