Best 5 Friedrich Nietzsche Quotations

Last Updated November 14th 2017

Friedrich Nietzsche is an influential German philosopher. He was born in 1844, in Röcken bei Lützen, Germany.

He had written significant works, including “Thus Spoke Zarathustra“,”Beyond Good and Evil”, “The Genealogy of Morals” and “Twilight of the Idols”.

Nietzsche’s work tried to reveal to us the motives that underlie traditional Western religion, morality, truth, nihilism, cultural theory, consciousness and philosophy.

“God is death” (“Gott ist tot” in German) is the famous line from Nietzsche. It appears in both of his work “The Gay Science” and “Thus Spoke Zarathustra”.

I agree with many people that Nietzsche’s work is very dense and it is very difficult to understand.

For the first-timer, I suggest you read books like “Story of Philosophy” by Will Durant or “Introducing Nietzsche: A Graphic Guide” by Laurence Gane.

Best 5 Friedrich Nietzsche Quotations

Here is my favorite best five verified Friedrich Nietzsche quotations:

“Our vocation commands and disposes of us even when we do not yet know it; it is the future that regulates our today.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

“Unsre Bestimmung verfügt über uns, auch wenn wir sie noch nicht kennen; es ist die Zukunft, die unserm Heute die Regel giebt.” (German)

(Human All Too Human: A Book For Free Spirits by Friedrich Nietzsche, Translated by R. J. Hollingdale, With An Introduction By Richard Schacht, Cambridge University Press, 1996, Vol. I, Preface, 7, P. 10)

(The quote in German is found .)

“Better know nothing than half-know many things.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

“Lieber nichts wissen, als vieles halb wissen!” (German)

(Thus Spake Zarathustra By Friedrich Nietzsche, Translate By Thomas Common, The Modern Library, 1917, Fourth And Last Part, 64. The Leech, P. 278)

(This quote is also found in: Thus Spake Zatathustra By Friedrich Nietzsche, Courier Corporation, 2012, Fourth And Last Part, LXIV The Leech; p.176)

(The quote in German is found .)

“One loves ultimately one’s desires, not the thing desired.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

“Man liebt zuletzt seine Begierde, und nicht das Begehrte.” (German)

(Beyond The Good And The Evil By Friedrich Nietzsche, Translated By Helen Zimmern, Introduction By Willard Huntington Wright, The Modern Library, 1917, ch. IV, Apophthegms And Interludes, 175, P. 91)

(This quote is also found in: Writings Of Nietzsche: Volume 1 By Friedrich Nietzsche, Lulu.com, 2016, ch. IV, Apophthegms And Interludes, 114, P. 30)

(The quote in German is found .)

”What does not kill me, strengthens me.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

“Was mich nicht umbringt, macht mich stärker.” (German)

(The Case Of Wagner, Nietzsche Contra Wagner, The Twilight Of The Idols, The Antichrist By Friedrich Nietzsche, Translated by Thomas Common, T. Fisher Unwin, 1899, The Twilight Of The Idols; Or How To Philosophise With A Hammer, Apophthegms And Darts, 8. P. 100)

(This quote is also found in: Twilight of the Idols and The Antichrist by Friedrich Nietzsche, Translated by Thomas Common, Courier Corporation, 2012, The Twilight Of The Idols; Or How To Philosophise With A Hammer, Apophthegms And Darts, 8)

(The quote in German is found here.)

“God is dead.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

(The Gay Science By Friedrich Nietzsche, Edited by Bernard Williams, Translated by Josefine Nauckhoff, Cambridge University Press, 2001, Book3, 108, P. 109)

(This quote is also found in: The Gay Science: With a Prelude in Rhymes and an Appendix of Songs By Friedrich Nietzsche, Translated by Walter Kaufmann, Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group, 2010, Book3, 108, P. 167)

(The quote in German is found here.)

Here is the full list of my selected verified quotes by Friedrich Nietzsche.