Life is a well of joy; but for those out of whom an upset stomach speaks, which is the father of melancholy, all wells are poisoned.

Every talent must unfold itself in fighting.

What the father kept silent the son speaks out.

Their usual mistaken premise is that they affirm some consensus among people, at least among tame peoples, concerning certain moral principles, and then conclude that these principles must be unconditionally binding also for you and me-or conversely, they see that among different peoples moral valuations are necessarily different and infer from this that no morality is binding-both of which are equally childish.

A nation is a detour of nature to arrive at five or six great men- yes, and then to get around them.

Every church is a stone on the grave of a god-man: it does not want him to rise up again under any circumstances.

Nobody thanks a witty man for politeness when he puts himself on a par with a society in which it would not be polite to show one's wit.