12 Quotes By Nietzsche That Will Change Your Perspective
Timeless wisdom shared in bite-sized sentences.
Nietzche was a German philosopher, composer, and poet whose words have sparked life in many souls. To this day, his work influences people across the world.
The wisdom he shares in his quotes offers amazing perspective shifts which if adopted might just change your life. Here are 12 quotes by Nietzche that have the capacity to unlock your best life.
That which does not kill us makes us stronger
All discomfort in life leads to growth. That’s the undeniable truth of life. Yet many people just never step out of their comfort zones.
You can use this both as a strategy and comfort.
As a comfort: Whenever tough times roll in, remind yourself that you’re going to learn something from it. That the bad experiences will yield lessons that will eventually make you a better person.
As a strategy: You should often try to voluntarily take-up uncomfortable challenges. Like going tech-free for a week, 36-hour fasts, waking up at 3 am once in a while, etc. They’re very useful for developing mental strength.
And those who were seen dancing were thought to be insane by those who could not hear the music.
To live a truly happy life, you have to ignore the opinions of society and walk the path that you want to. In doing that, people will call you crazy. Because in a world that discourages individuality, living a life true to yourself is an act of rebellion.
Start living a life that you crave. What people think about you should be the least of your concerns. To live an ecstatic life, you need to stop listening to the voices from outside and listen to the one from within. That’s the only voice that can lead you to happiness.
Without music, life would be a mistake
Every human on Earth likes music. Which tells us that music is not just another form of art. It’s something else. It’s just as necessary to us as food. “Music can lift us out of depression or move us to tears — it is a remedy, a tonic, orange juice for the ear,” says Oliver Sacks.
And while everyone listens to music, I always push people to learn to play a musical instrument. Playing an instrument benefits your brain as nothing does. Which is why I implore you to pick up an instrument and start playing today.
You have your way. I have my way, As for the right way, the correct way, and the only way, it does not exist.
If there’s one thing that I would have all the people on this planet understand, it would be this. If people understood that everyone has a right to have their own preferences, the world would be a better place.
We often detest people for having opinions that go against our own. But no one forms any sort of opinion out of nowhere. Every opinion is shaped by that person’s experiences through life.
It’s a natural tendency to put our own beliefs on a pedestal. But, you’d be better off accepting the fact that your perspective is only one out of 7.8 billion perspectives.
From now on, do yourself a favor and try to understand why one person beliefs what he does and learn to respect that. You’ll have much better relationships with people.
He who has a why to live for can almost bear anyhow.
In Man’s Search For Meaning, Viktor Frankl shares his experiences as a prisoner in the Nazi Concentration Camps. The message he tries to share with that book is that when a person finds a reason to be alive, the struggles of living become somewhat easier to bear.
Why are you alive? What is the purpose of your life? Try to find definite answers to this question before today goes by. Whatever you do in life, follow Simon Sinek’s advice and always start with ‘why’.
The individual has always had to struggle to keep from being overwhelmed by the tribe. If you try it, you will be lonely often, and sometimes frightened. But no price is too high to pay for the privilege of owning yourself.
The best advice I’ve ever heard is — “Do the exact opposite of what most people do”. And this advice will always stay intact because sadly, most people won’t follow this advice.
We’re social beings. We want to fit in. That is why it can be difficult to take the less-traveled road. But when you find the courage to walk your own path, you’ll find immense meaning in life.
And when you choose the life of growth, you must be prepared to face a bit of loneliness and fear. Because growth is a lonely sport. Not everyone will keep up with you. Which is why you have to walk this path alone.
The snake which cannot cast its skin has to die. As well as the minds which are prevented from changing their opinions; they cease to be mind.
People don’t want to change. And that is why they never learn.
And what is life without learning?
Changing yourself is difficult. But you have to do it anyway. A wise human is the one who is not only capable of evolving but who finds joy in evolving.
It’s also necessary to be able to change yourself on cue when situations change. I think that’s a lesson we’ve all learned from this global pandemic. People who are adaptable always come out ahead of others.
All I need is a sheet of paper and something to write with, and then I can turn the world upside down.
It’s been about two months since I’ve started writing. And I’m just about ready to start pulling my hair out. Thanks for asking.
Yes. Writing is difficult, but it teaches you more about life than anything else will. I can vouch for that. I feel like I’ve learned more in the past 2 months than I have in my entire life.
Why? Because writing helps you structure your thoughts. It helps to understand yourself. It helps in understanding the world.
And you don’t have to make a career out of it. Journal or start a blog. Whatever. Just translate your thoughts onto a page. And I don’t know about turning the whole world upside down but writing will definitely turn your world upside down.
Is life not a thousand times too short for us to bore ourselves?
In all honesty, I’m never bored. I never have ‘nothing’ to do. Why would I? Life is beautiful. There are so many things to learn and do. In fact, it’s one of my biggest fears that I’ll never be able to absorb as much as I want to.
Stop being bored with life and stimulate your mind. Fold a paper into a fire-breathing dragon. Learn how to tap dance. Bake a cake. Watch a TED talk. Go for a run. Take your first Spanish lesson. But don’t be bored. Being bored is just invalid. Life’s too beautiful and short to be bored.
Go do something.
Whenever I climb, I’m followed by a dog called ego.
As we walk the path of self-improvement, we’ll always be haunted by our own ego. With every achievement, a feeling of superiority over others will come. It’s our job to resist that feeling to the best of our capabilities.
And I don’t believe one can conquer his or her own ego while they’re still alive. I like to believe that every quote, every article, and every book is just another reminder for us to keep a check on our egos.
As you ascend to great heights, always take care that your ego doesn’t join you there. Keep moving forward but always stay humble.
One must be a sea, to receive a polluted stream without becoming impure.
In this world we live in, it’s not enough to just be positive and calm. You also have to protect that positivity and calmness when negative energy surrounds you.
And I’ll be the first to admit, that’s tough. Negative energy is contagious. It takes conscious, deliberate effort to not let it affect you. And like any skill, it will take time to master that.
One quote that helps me whenever my inner calm is threatened is reminding myself of the quote — Be the thermostat, not the thermometer.
You too, remind yourself of this quote every time you find yourself absorbing any sort of negative energy. Then, take a deep breath. And reclaim your inner calm.
You say it’s dark. And in truth, I did place a cloud before your sun. But do you not see how the edges of the cloud are already glowing and turning light.
Everyone has to face their share of adversities. Ups and downs are a part of life. But when a tough situation rolls in, it can get quite overwhelming. In those moments, it’s necessary to remind yourself that things do get better.
Nothing lasts forever. Tough situations won’t last forever either. Things get better. You just have to wait it out. Words that have been a godsend for me in tough situations are — This too shall pass.
Whenever I’m going through a difficult time, I always say these words to myself. And I instantly feel better after that.