Mordechai · 31-35, M
Thus spoke Zarathustra by Nietzsche.
It helped me to choose my own path, myself, my beliefs and values, no matter what and to actualise throughout my life into who I'm becoming.
To embrace the pain of becoming and not care about what others think.
This is my favourite chapter.
The more he seeketh to rise into the height and light, the more vigorously do his roots struggle earthward, downward, into the dark and deep—into the evil."
"Yea, into the evil!" cried the youth. "How is it possible that thou hast discovered my soul?"
Zarathustra smiled, and said: "Many a soul one will never discover, unless one first invent it."
"Yea, into the evil!" cried the youth once more.
"Thou saidst the truth, Zarathustra. I trust myself no longer since I sought to rise into the height, and nobody trusteth me any longer; how doth that happen?
I change too quickly: my to-day refuteth my yesterday. I often overleap the steps when I clamber; for so doing, none of the steps pardons me.
When aloft, I find myself always alone. No one speaketh unto me; the frost of solitude maketh me tremble. What do I seek on the height?
My contempt and my longing increase together; the higher I clamber, the more do I despise him who clambereth. What doth he seek on the height?
How ashamed I am of my clambering and stumbling! How I mock at my violent panting! How I hate him who flieth! How tired I am on the height!"
Here the youth was silent. And Zarathustra contemplated the tree beside which they stood, and spake thus:
"This tree standeth lonely here on the hills; it hath grown up high above man and beast.
And if it wanted to speak, it would have none who could understand it: so high hath it grown.
Now it waiteth and waiteth,—for what doth it wait? It dwelleth too close to the seat of the clouds; it waiteth perhaps for the first lightning?"
When Zarathustra had said this, the youth called out with violent gestures: "Yea, Zarathustra, thou speakest the truth. My destruction I longed for, when I desired to be on the height, and thou art the lightning for which I waited! Lo! what have I been since thou hast appeared amongst us? It is mine envy of thee that hath destroyed me!"—Thus spake the youth, and wept bitterly. Zarathustra, however, put his arm about him, and led the youth away with him.
And when they had walked a while together, Zarathustra began to speak thus:
It rendeth my heart. Better than thy words express it, thine eyes tell me all thy danger.
As yet thou art not free; thou still SEEKEST freedom. Too unslept hath thy seeking made thee, and too wakeful.
On the open height wouldst thou be; for the stars thirsteth thy soul. But thy bad impulses also thirst for freedom.
Thy wild dogs want liberty; they bark for joy in their cellar when thy spirit endeavoureth to open all prison doors.
Still art thou a prisoner—it seemeth to me—who deviseth liberty for himself: ah! sharp becometh the soul of such prisoners, but also deceitful and wicked.
To purify himself, is still necessary for the freedman of the spirit. Much of the prison and the mould still remaineth in him: pure hath his eye still to become.
Yea, I know thy danger. But by my love and hope I conjure thee: cast not thy love and hope away!
Noble thou feelest thyself still, and noble others also feel thee still, though they bear thee a grudge and cast evil looks. Know this, that to everybody a noble one standeth in the way.
Also to the good, a noble one standeth in the way: and even when they call him a good man, they want thereby to put him aside.
The new, would the noble man create, and a new virtue. The old, wanteth the good man, and that the old should be conserved.
But it is not the danger of the noble man to turn a good man, but lest he should become a blusterer, a scoffer, or a destroyer.
Ah! I have known noble ones who lost their highest hope. And then they disparaged all high hopes.
Then lived they shamelessly in temporary pleasures, and beyond the day had hardly an aim.
"Spirit is also voluptuousness,"—said they. Then broke the wings of their spirit; and now it creepeth about, and defileth where it gnaweth.
Once they thought of becoming heroes; but sensualists are they now. A trouble and a terror is the hero to them.
But by my love and hope I conjure thee: cast not away the hero in thy soul! Maintain holy thy highest hope!—
Thus spake Zarathustra.
It helped me to choose my own path, myself, my beliefs and values, no matter what and to actualise throughout my life into who I'm becoming.
To embrace the pain of becoming and not care about what others think.
This is my favourite chapter.
The more he seeketh to rise into the height and light, the more vigorously do his roots struggle earthward, downward, into the dark and deep—into the evil."
"Yea, into the evil!" cried the youth. "How is it possible that thou hast discovered my soul?"
Zarathustra smiled, and said: "Many a soul one will never discover, unless one first invent it."
"Yea, into the evil!" cried the youth once more.
"Thou saidst the truth, Zarathustra. I trust myself no longer since I sought to rise into the height, and nobody trusteth me any longer; how doth that happen?
I change too quickly: my to-day refuteth my yesterday. I often overleap the steps when I clamber; for so doing, none of the steps pardons me.
When aloft, I find myself always alone. No one speaketh unto me; the frost of solitude maketh me tremble. What do I seek on the height?
My contempt and my longing increase together; the higher I clamber, the more do I despise him who clambereth. What doth he seek on the height?
How ashamed I am of my clambering and stumbling! How I mock at my violent panting! How I hate him who flieth! How tired I am on the height!"
Here the youth was silent. And Zarathustra contemplated the tree beside which they stood, and spake thus:
"This tree standeth lonely here on the hills; it hath grown up high above man and beast.
And if it wanted to speak, it would have none who could understand it: so high hath it grown.
Now it waiteth and waiteth,—for what doth it wait? It dwelleth too close to the seat of the clouds; it waiteth perhaps for the first lightning?"
When Zarathustra had said this, the youth called out with violent gestures: "Yea, Zarathustra, thou speakest the truth. My destruction I longed for, when I desired to be on the height, and thou art the lightning for which I waited! Lo! what have I been since thou hast appeared amongst us? It is mine envy of thee that hath destroyed me!"—Thus spake the youth, and wept bitterly. Zarathustra, however, put his arm about him, and led the youth away with him.
And when they had walked a while together, Zarathustra began to speak thus:
It rendeth my heart. Better than thy words express it, thine eyes tell me all thy danger.
As yet thou art not free; thou still SEEKEST freedom. Too unslept hath thy seeking made thee, and too wakeful.
On the open height wouldst thou be; for the stars thirsteth thy soul. But thy bad impulses also thirst for freedom.
Thy wild dogs want liberty; they bark for joy in their cellar when thy spirit endeavoureth to open all prison doors.
Still art thou a prisoner—it seemeth to me—who deviseth liberty for himself: ah! sharp becometh the soul of such prisoners, but also deceitful and wicked.
To purify himself, is still necessary for the freedman of the spirit. Much of the prison and the mould still remaineth in him: pure hath his eye still to become.
Yea, I know thy danger. But by my love and hope I conjure thee: cast not thy love and hope away!
Noble thou feelest thyself still, and noble others also feel thee still, though they bear thee a grudge and cast evil looks. Know this, that to everybody a noble one standeth in the way.
Also to the good, a noble one standeth in the way: and even when they call him a good man, they want thereby to put him aside.
The new, would the noble man create, and a new virtue. The old, wanteth the good man, and that the old should be conserved.
But it is not the danger of the noble man to turn a good man, but lest he should become a blusterer, a scoffer, or a destroyer.
Ah! I have known noble ones who lost their highest hope. And then they disparaged all high hopes.
Then lived they shamelessly in temporary pleasures, and beyond the day had hardly an aim.
"Spirit is also voluptuousness,"—said they. Then broke the wings of their spirit; and now it creepeth about, and defileth where it gnaweth.
Once they thought of becoming heroes; but sensualists are they now. A trouble and a terror is the hero to them.
But by my love and hope I conjure thee: cast not away the hero in thy soul! Maintain holy thy highest hope!—
Thus spake Zarathustra.
Penny · 46-50, F
The Tightwad Gazette. A friend introduced me to it. I used to be a major spender that ended up in major credit card debt. That book was like my bible when my kids were little and I didnt work outside of the home much living on my husbands pay which wasnt super great. Even with as little money as we had we had managed to save up enough to move to Florida following the TightwadGazette's advice. Even now that my kids are grown I still apply a lot of its strategies and advice to my life.
deadmoon · 31-35, F
The Way Out by Alan Gordon. It really helped me learn how to dominate my chronic pain so that my chronic pain doesn’t dominate me. I still reread it from time to time to keep his principles fresh in my mind because they really turned my life around.
BrandonWyatt36 · 36-40, M
I mean... I KNOW people say Whatever about my whole Scientology Thing 🙄🙄🙄🙄 But again... For whatever reason even though it's "Self Help" stuff it DOES get Addicting and really helps at least with me when I used to get down on myself about being single soo
All of the ones I've ever read, but but the first that I recall making me seriously take a moment to put some things into real perspective was The Bachman Books and the short story Rage which is now out of print. I just actually gave my copy to a friend, but it struck something in me when I read it.
bijouxbroussard · F
At age 12, I read James Baldwin’s “The Fire Next Time".
It really helped me understand my country and my place in it. 😞
It really helped me understand my country and my place in it. 😞
mossyboots · 51-55, FNew
Blondily · F
Didn't change my life but made me think more romantically, Jane Eyre
AngelUnforgiven · 51-55, F
Tight Little Stitches In A Dead Man's Back, it made me see that the monsters are real and that they are out neighbors and friends.
Knightyad808 · 46-50, MNew
The book: Population Protocol. The I.M.U. & C.S.D.R.
Gives someone much to think about with currency tied to population and what's happening currently in the world.
*They always announce what they do before they do it don't they?
Gives someone much to think about with currency tied to population and what's happening currently in the world.
*They always announce what they do before they do it don't they?
FreeorLonely · 51-55, F
caccoon · 36-40
Every book I read and enjoy seems to be relatable.
SinlessOnslaught · M
Spongebob Naturepants
samueltyler2 · 80-89, M
Eleven Blue Men
Arantxa · F
One people one planet
boklenholley7 · F
exexec · 70-79, C
In His Steps by Charles Sheldon
Bigrichard · 36-40, M
The Prophet. By Kahlil Gibran
Djofull · 46-50, M
