There comes a time when a most visceral feeling is felt by all—namely love.

It is most
presumptuous of myself to believe that I can put such a nebulous feeling, such as love, into
words but such is the fate of the writer: to describe what others cannot; to put into ink what
others can only feel.
Of primary importance is the irrationality of it all. Love ought to be divorced from all logical
thinking. What I mean by this is the utter faith with which we approach this emotion. See, one
can only enter into love as one enters into love—removed of the thought of the malice which
may befall him at any given instant. In other words, love is a severe letting go of control, a
falling and giving up of what is most cherished by the human species: power—that is, one must
give up his power in order to obtain the most sublime of all powers.
Not only this since when one removes his grip, his believed jurisdiction and sway on all matters
worldly, man is susceptible to the most incapacitated of states. Madness, then, is the second
characteristic of love. For who else shall willingly hand themselves over to another person, strip
themselves of all things he deems necessity, and say: “Do as you like.” Thus, love is the most
sublime of all madness.
And, lastly, it is reasonable. This may appear as an intrinsic contradiction of statements, yet
when examined we find it to make sense. On the outset, we find it strange that such a serfly
attitude towards life, indeed, such a nihilistic way of being is praised and has been praised
centuries ere. But it is not so when we see that our letting go of power, as I noted above, grants
us the most sublime of powers! For whoever watches too closely, whoever peers too much into
life, and does not at all have a chance to live, laugh and dance—as all men must do—then one
can claim to have all the power in the world, but he is most powerless of all powerless men!—
Whoever then lets go, whoever descends into the madness of uncertainty—of betrayal, hurt and
deceit—has sanity within him. Love then is reasonable.
Thus I have spoken of love. For who speaks of love more than one who loves much? Then, my
brothers, I preach to you: love your enemy. But not because he is to be converted to your side,
but because one need love those who he wars with! When he spews the greatest insults, do not
bow your head and forgive him—one betrays his love for the enemy that way—spew at him, in
turn, what is most poisonous and vile: that is how we must love our enemies. In our wars are our
greatest loves.
I speak to you: there can be no great love without great hate. What is love must first be born
from hate. There is no tree which grows to the heavens and does not reach hell. Then we should
not only love our enemy, but also hate our friends. For who is our greatest friend above those
who plunder and murder us?
I speak to you thus: We are our greatest enemies; no man can enter the labyrinth of chaos and not
encounter himself. Who then is most deserving of love and hate than ourselves?
Thus I preach to you my brothers: Make war and rest in peace. Our peace is justified only by the
fright of our wars. Many die in war so many can live in peace.