When the gratitude of many to one throws away all shame, we behold fame.

But let me open up my heart to you completely, my friends: if there were gods, how could I bear not being a god! Hence, there areno gods. I drew this conclusion, to be sure--but now it draws me.

We, however, want to become those we are--human beings who are new, unique, incomparable, who give themselves laws, who create themselves. To that end we must become the best learners and discoverers of everything that is lawful and necessary in the world: we must become physicists in order to be able to be creators in this sense--while hitherto all valuations and ideals have been based on ignorance of physics or were constructed so as to contradict it. Therefore: long live physics! And even more so that which compels us to turn to physics--our honesty!

But every soil becomes finally exhausted, and the ploughshare of evil must always come once more.

The same relation exists between merchant and pirate, who for a long period are one and the same person: where the one function appears to them inadvisable, they exercise the other.

Style ought to prove that one believes in an idea; not only that one thinks it but also feels it.

Thus I spoke, more and more softly; for I was afraid of my own thoughts and the thoughts behind my thoughts.