What is the difference between someone who is convinced and one who is deceived? None, if he is well deceived.

The growth of wisdom may be gauged exactly by the diminution of ill-temper.

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, its shudders face to face with great ruin, its inventiveness and courage in enduring, preserving, interpreting, and exploiting suffering, and whatever has been granted to it of profundity, secret, mask, spirit, cunning, greatness- was it not granted to it through suffering, through the discipline of great suffering?

In the last analysis, even the best man is evil: in the last analysis, even the best woman is bad.

I presume that you are compassionate: to be without pity means to be sick in body and spirit. But one should have spirit in abundance, so as to be permitted to be compassionate! For your pity is detrimental to you and to everyone.

Whoever has really sacrificed anything, knows that he wanted and got something in return.

Instinct. When the house burns one forgets even lunch. Yes, but one eats it later in the ashes.