The sick woman especially: no one surpasses her in refinements for ruling, oppressing, tyrannising.

I am too inquisitive, too skeptical, too arrogant, to let myself be satisfied with an obvious and crass solution of things. God is such an obvious and crass solution; a solution which is a sheer indelicacy to us thinkers - at bottom He is really nothing but a coarse commandment against us: ye shall not think!

Illusions are certainly expensive amusements; but the destruction of illusions is still more expensive, if looked upon as an amusement, as it undoubtedly is by some people.

whatever is profound loves masks; what is most profound even hates image and parable.

In architecture the pride of man, his triumph over gravitation, his will to power, assume a visible form. Architecture is a sort of oratory of power by means of forms.

Men submit from habit to everything that seeks power.

One must first be firmly set in oneself, one must stand securely on one's own two legs otherwise one cannot love at all.