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341. )#hat' if some day or night a demon were to steal after you into your loneliest loneliness and say to you: '(his life as you now li$e it and ha$e li$ed it' you will ha$e to li$e once more and innumera!le times more' ... #ould you not throw yourself down and gnash your teeth and curse the demon who spo"e thus. Or ha$e you once experienced a tremendous moment when you would ha$e answered him: '1ou are a god and ne$er ha$e * heard anything more di$ine.')
*uch that passed for $ood with one people was re$arded with scorn and contempt by another' thus ( found it% *uch found ( here called bad! which was there decked with purple honors% Never did the one nei$hbor understand the other' ever did his soul marvel at his nei$hbor4s delusion and wickedness% & table of excellencies han$eth over every people% /o0 it is the table of their triumphs# lo0 it is the voice of their Will to Power% 1omissions2 22. T!" ("s)o*in+ ,i-)#" 1 1omissions2 When your heart overfloweth broad and full like the river! a blessin$ and a dan$er to the lowlanders' there is the ori$in of your virtue% When ye are exalted above praise and blame! and your will would command all thin$s! as a lovin$ one4s will' there is the ori$in of your virtue% When ye despise pleasant thin$s! and the effeminate couch! and cannot couch far enou$h from the effeminate' there is the ori$in of your virtue% When ye are willers of one will! and when that chan$e of every need is needful to you' there is the ori$in of your virtue% 5erily! a new $ood and evil is it0 5erily! a new deep murmurin$! and the voice of a new fountain0 Power is it! this new virtue# a rulin$ thou$ht is it! and around it a subtle soul' a $olden sun! with the serpent of knowled$e around it% 1omissions2 24. In )!" H$../ Is'"s 6ould ye create a 7od+3Then! ( pray you! be silent about all $ods0 .ut ye could well create the )uperman% Not perhaps ye yourselves! my brethren0 .ut into fathers and forefathers of the )uperman could ye transform yourselves' and let that be your best creatin$03 1omissions2 20. T!" T$-$n)#'$s 1omissions2 ye preachers of e8uality0 Tarantulas are ye unto me! and secretly reven$eful ones0 1omissions2 With these preachers of e8uality will ( not be mixed up and confounded% For thus speaketh ustice unto me' 9*en are not e8ual%: &nd neither shall they become so0 What would be my love to the )uperman! if ( spake otherwise+ 1omissions2 34. S"'12S#-.$ssin+ 9W(// to Truth: do ye call it! ye wisest ones! that which impelleth you and maketh you ardent+ Will for the thinkableness of all bein$' thus do ( call your will0 3
&ll bein$ would ye make thinkable' for ye doubt with $ood reason whether it be already thinkable% .ut it shall accommodate and bend itself to you0 )o willeth your will% )mooth shall it become and sub ect to the spirit! as its mirror and reflection% That is your entire will! ye wisest ones! as a Will to Power# 1omissions2 The i$norant! to be sure! the people3they are like a river on which a boat floateth alon$' and in the boat sit the estimates of value! solemn and dis$uised% ,our will and your valuations have ye put on the river of becomin$# it betrayeth unto me an old Will to Power! what is believed by the people as $ood and evil% 1omissions2 (t is not the river that is your dan$er and the end of your $ood and evil! ye wisest ones' but that Will itself! the Will to Power3the unexhausted! procreatin$ life"will% 1omissions2 Wherever ( found a livin$ thin$! there found ( Will to Power# and even in the will of the servant found ( the will to be master% That to the stron$er the weaker shall serve3thereto persuadeth he his will who would be master over a still weaker one% That deli$ht alone he is unwillin$ to fore$o% &nd as the lesser surrendereth himself to the $reater that he may have deli$ht and power over the least of all! so doth even the $reatest surrender himself! and staketh3life! for the sake of power% (t is the surrender of the $reatest to run risk and dan$er! and play dice for death% &nd where there is sacrifice and service and love"$lances! there also is the will to be master% .y by"ways doth the weaker then slink into the fortress! and into the heart of the mi$htier one3and there stealeth power% &nd this secret spake /ife herself unto me% 9.ehold!: said she! 9( am that which must ever surpass itself% To be sure! ye call it will to procreation! or impulse towards a $oal! towards the hi$her! remoter! more manifold' but all that is one and the same secret% ;ather would ( succumb than disown this one thin$# and verily! where there is succumbin$ and leaf"fallin$! lo! there doth /ife sacrifice itself3for power0 That ( have to be stru$$le! and becomin$! and purpose! and cross"purpose3ah! he who divineth my will! divineth well also on what crooked paths it hath to tread0 Whatever ( create! and however much ( love it!3soon must ( be adverse to it! and to my love' so willeth my will% &nd even thou! discernin$ one! art only a path and footstep of my will' verily! my Will to Power walketh even on the feet of thy Will to Truth0 <e certainly did not hit the truth who shot at it the formula' 9Will to existence:' that will3doth not exist0 For what is not! cannot will# that! however! which is in existence3how could it still strive for existence0 -nly where there is life! is there also will' not! however! Will to /ife! but3so teach ( thee3Will to Power0 *uch is reckoned hi$her than life itself by the livin$ one# but out of the very reckonin$ speaketh3the Will to Power0=3 Thus did /ife once teach me' and thereby! ye wisest ones! do ( solve you the riddle of your hearts% 4
1omissions2 43. 3$n'/ P-#%"n4" 1omissions2 5erily! there is still a future even for evil0 &nd the warmest south is still undiscovered by man% <ow many thin$s are now called the worst wickedness! which are only twelve feet broad and three months lon$0 )ome day! however! will $reater dra$ons come into the world% For that the )uperman may not lack his dra$on! the super"dra$on that is worthy of him! there must still much warm sun $low on moist vir$in forests0 -ut of your wild cats must ti$ers have evolved! and out of your poison"toads! crocodiles' for the $ood hunter shall have a $ood hunt0 1omissions2 5. T!" Con6$'"s4"n) 1omissions2 9Eternally he returneth! the man of whom thou art weary! the small man=3so yawned my sadness! and dra$$ed its foot and could not $o to sleep% & cavern! became the human earth to me# its breast caved in# everythin$ livin$ became to me human dust and bones and molderin$ past% *y si$hin$ sat on all human $raves! and could no lon$er arise' my si$hin$ and 8uestionin$ croaked and choked! and $nawed and na$$ed day and ni$ht' 3 9&h! man returneth eternally0 The small man returneth eternally0: Naked had ( once seen both of them! the $reatest man and the smallest man' all too like one another3all too human! even the $reatest man0 &ll too small! even the $reatest man03that was my dis$ust at man0 &nd the eternal return also of the smallest man03that was my dis$ust at all existence0 53. T!" Hi+!"- 3$n 1omissions2 The most careful ask today' 9<ow is man to be maintained+: Zarathustra however asketh! as the first and only one' 9<ow is man to be surpassed+: The )uperman! ( have at heart# that is the first and only thin$ to me3and not man' not the nei$hbor! not the poorest! not the sorriest! not the best%3 1omissions2 That asketh and asketh and never tireth' 9<ow is man to maintain himself best! lon$est! most pleasantly+: Thereby3are they the masters of today% These masters of today3surpass them! - my brethren3these petty people' they are the )uperman4s $reatest dan$er0 )urpass! ye hi$her men! the petty virtues! the petty policy! the sand"$rain considerateness! the ant"hill trumpery! the pitiable comfortableness! the 9happiness of the $reatest number=30 &nd rather despair than submit yourselves% &nd verily! ( love you! because ye know not today how to live! ye hi$her men0 For thus do ye live3best0 5
1omissions2 9*an is evil=3so said to me for consolation! all the wisest ones% &h! if only it be still true today0 For the evil is man4s best force% 9*an must become better and eviler=3so do ( teach% The evilest is necessary for the )uperman4s best% (t may have been well for the preacher of the petty people to suffer and be burdened by men4s sin% (! however! re oice in $reat sin as my $reat consolation%3 )uch thin$s! however! are not said for lon$ ears% Every word! also! is not suited for every mouth% These are fine far"away thin$s' at them sheep4s claws shall not $rasp0 1omissions2 >o not will anythin$ beyond your power' there is a bad falseness in those who will beyond their power% Especially when they will $reat thin$s0 For they awaken distrust in $reat thin$s! these subtle false"coiners and sta$e"layers'3 ?ntil at last they are false towards themselves! s8uint"eyed! whited cankers! $lossed over with stron$ words! parade virtues and brilliant false deeds% Take $ood care there! ye hi$her men0 For nothin$ is more precious to me! and rarer! than honesty% 1omissions2