Through artists mankind becomes an individual, in that they unite the past and the future in the present. They are the higher organ of the soul, where the life spirits of entire external mankind meet and in which inner mankind first acts.

True love should be, according to its origin, entirely arbitrary and entirely accidental at the same time; it should seem both necessary and free; in keeping with its nature, however, it should be both destiny and virtue and appear as a mystery and a miracle.

The need to raise itself above humanity is humanity's main characteristic.

Whoever does not philosophize for the sake of philosophy, but rather uses philosophy as a means, is a sophist.

Mysteries are feminine; they like to veil themselves but still want to be seen and divined.

All men are somewhat ridiculous and grotesque, just because they are men; and in this respect artists might well be regarded as man multiplied by two. So it is, was, and shall be.

Beauty is that which is simultaneously attractive and sublime.