The Gay Science (A)

(Originally written July 16, 2007 in Book 25)

The Gay Science (1882)

51: Sense of truth

Skepticism in which one can reply, 'let's try it' is good; but, questions that do not permit experiments stretch beyond the sense of truth and are therefore, forfeit.

108: New Struggles

God is dead, but there may be caves in which his shadow will be shown for thousands of years. We must vanquish his shadow as well.

121: Life no argument

We exist in a world we have fixed up to exist in: a world of bodies, lines, planes, causes and effects, motion and rest, form and content. But these are all assumptions, articles of faith which we could not endure without. But these assumptions are unproved. "Life is no argument, the conditions of life could include error"(171).

129: The conditions of God

Luther said, "God cannot exist without a wise man" and was right. But God can exist even less without unwise men; that Luther did not say.

130: A dangerous resolve

"The Christian resolve to find the world ugly and bad has made the world ugly and bad" (172).

142: Incense

Buddha said not to flatter your benefactor. If this were said in Church it would clear the air of anything Christian.

163: After a great victory

The best part of victory is that it rids the victor of the fear of defeat.

173: Being deep and appearing deep

Those who are deep strive for clarity; those who wish to appear deep strive for obscurity

200: Laughter

Laughter means: being schadenfreude (a mischievous delight in the discomfort of another) but with a good conscience.

205: Need

"A need is considered the cause of the origin: in truth, it is often merely an effect of what did originate" (172).

228: Against Mediators

Mediators between two resolute thinkers are mediocre. They see things as similar because of weak eyes.

231: Thorough

"Those slow in knowledge suppose that slowness belongs to knowledge" (173).

232: Dreams

Dreams are either interesting or nonexistent. We should be awake the same way: interesting or not at all.

258: Those who deny chance

No victor believes in chance

273: Whom do you call bad?

Those who always want to put to shame.

274: What do you consider most humane?

To spare someone shame

275: What is the seal of attained freedom?

No longer being ashamed in front of oneself.