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.

We are praised or blamed, as the one or the other may be expedient, for displaying to advantage our power of discernment.

The spiritualization of sensuality is called love: it is a great triumph over Christianity.

The danger of our culture.- We belong to a period of which the culture is in danger of being destroyed by the appliances of culture.

Memory says, 'I did that.' Pride replies, 'I could not have done that.' Eventually, memory yields.

Posthumous men-myself, for example-are not as well understood as timely ones, but we are listened to better. More precisely: we are never understood-hence our authority.

We seldom break our leg so long as life continues a toilsome upward climb. The danger comes when we begin to take things easily and choose the convenient paths.