Society and the World

love as a passion—it is our European specialty—must absolutely be of noble origin; as is well known, its invention is due to the Provencal poet-cavaliers, those brilliant, ingenious men of the "gai saber," to whom Europe owes so much, and almost owes itself.

A nation is a detour of nature to arrive at five or six great men- yes, and then to get around them.

A nation is a detour of nature to arrive at five or six great men- yes, and then to get around them.

In some remote corner of the universe, poured out and glittering among innumerable solar systems, there once was a star on which clever animals invented knowledge.

As soon as a religion comes to dominate it has as its opponents all those who would have been its first disciples.

It is a self-deception of philosophers and moralists to imagine that they escape decadence by opposing it. That is beyond their will; and, however little they acknowledge it, one later discovers that they were among the most powerful promoters of decadence.

Madness is something rare in individuals — but in groups, parties, peoples, and ages, it is the rule.

The most perfidious way of harming a cause consists of defending it deliberately with faulty arguments.

The true man wants two things: danger and play. For that reason he wants woman, as the most dangerous plaything.

Arrogance on the part of the meritorious is even more offensive to us than the arrogance of those without merit: for merit itself is offensive.

Dancing in all its forms cannot be excluded from the curriculum of all noble education; dancing with the feet, with ideas, with words, and, need I add that one must also be able to dance with the pen?

The overman...Who has organized the chaos of his passions, given style to his character, and become creative. Aware of life's terrors, he affirms life without resentment.

Fear is not a lasting teacher of duty.

No legacy is so rich as honesty.

You can only become truly accomplished at something you love. Don't make money your goal. Instead, pursue the things you love doing, and then do them so well that people can't take their eyes off you.

A gift is pure when it is given from the heart when we expect nothing in return.

If you care enough for a result, you will most certainly attain it.

If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make a change.

You've got to love what's loveable and hate what's hateable. It takes brains to see the difference.

A fool flatters himself, a wise man flatters the fool.

Courage is the greatest of all virtues, because if you haven't courage, you may not have an opportunity to use any of the others.

We pay a person the compliment of acknowledging his superiority whenever we lie to him.

The lunatic fringe wags the underdog.

It is when you give of yourself that you truly give.