Thus Spake Zarathustra - Penn State University

Thus Spake Zarathustraonly thing to me—and not man: not the neighbour, not These masters of to-day—surpass them, O my brethren—thesepetty people: they are the Superman’s great-the poorest, not the sorriest, not the best.—O my brethren, what I can love in man is that he is an est danger!over-going and a down-going. And also in you there is Surpass, ye higher men, the petty virtues, the pettymuch that maketh me love and hope.policy, the sand-grain considerateness, the ant-hill trumpery,the pitiable comfortableness, the “happiness of theIn that ye have despised, ye higher men, that makethme hope. For the great despisers are the great reverers. greatest number”—!In that ye have despaired, there is much to honour. For And rather despair than submit yourselves. And verily,ye have not learned to submit yourselves, ye have not I love you, because ye know not to-day how to live, yelearned petty policy.higher men! For thus do ye live—best!For to-day have the petty people become master: theyall preach submission and humility and policy and diligenceand consideration and the long et cetera of petty4.virtues.HAVE YE COURAGE, O my brethren? Are ye stout-hearted?Whatever is of the effeminate type, whatever originateth not the courage before witnesses, but anchorite and eaglefrom the servile type, and especially the populace-mishmash:—thatwisheth now to be master of all human des-Cold souls, mules, the blind and the drunken, I do notcourage, which not even a God any longer beholdeth?tiny—O disgust! Disgust! Disgust!call stout-hearted. He hath heart who knoweth fear, butThat asketh and asketh and never tireth: “How is man vanquisheth it; who seeth the abyss, but with pride.to maintain himself best, longest, most pleasantly?” He who seeth the abyss, but with eagle’s eyes,—heThereby—are they the masters of to-day.who with eagle’s talons graspeth the abyss: he hath cour-258