If we affirm one moment, we thus affirm not only ourselves but all existence. For nothing is self-sufficient, neither in us ourselves nor in things; and if our soul has trembled with happiness and sounded like a harp string just once, all eternity was needed to produce this one event - and in this single moment of affirmation all eternity was called good, redeemed, justified, and affirmed.

Precisely this is godliness--that there are gods, but no God.

Body am I entirely, and nothing else; and soul is only a word for something about the body.

The happiness of man is: I will. The happiness of woman is: he wills.

That which an age considers evil is usually an unseasonable echo of what was formerly considered good - the atavism of an old ideal.

One can promise actions, but not feelings, for the latter are involuntary. He who promises to love forever or hate forever or be forever faithful to someone is promising something that is not in his power.

And if a man goes through fire for his doctrine - what does that prove? Verily, it is more if your own doctrine comes out of your own fire.