Friedrich Nietzsche

Friedrich Nietzsche is a genius. He is widely misunderstood as a misogynist and a racist. His masterwork piece was 'Human, All Too Human (Menschliches, Allzumenschliches)', a collection of aphorisms mainly concerned with human psychology. In this he says wordly truths that will hold their ground even if sun rises in the west. I know, sun rises in the west in some planets and this is all too referential. In these planets, then it becomes 'even if sun rises in the east'. But, the frame of reference should be and always will be the earth. In his book, he says,

Presence of witnesses. One is twice as happy to dive after a man who has fallen into the water if people are present who do not dare to.

The friend's secret. There will be but few people who, when at a loss for topics of conversation, will not reveal the more secret affairs of their friends.

Joy in old age. The thinker or artist whose better self has fled into his works feels an almost malicious joy when he sees his body and spirit slowly broken into and destroyed by time; it is as if he were in a corner, watching a thief at work on his safe, all the while knowing that it is empty and that all his treasures have been rescued.

The infuriating thing about an individual way of life. People are always angry at anyone who chooses very individual standards for his life; because of the extraordinary treatment which that grants to himself, they feel degraded, like ordinary beings.

The right profession. Men seldom endure a profession if they do not believe or persuade themselves that it is basically more important than all others. Women do the same with their lovers.

Boredom. Many people, especially women, do not experience boredom, because they have never learned to work properly.

According to rotten.com, from where the above is lifted, 'Indeed, Sigmund Freud often marveled how Nietzsche's hunches and insights behaved in synchronous agreement with the laborious results of academic psychoanalysis.'

I especially like the one about the individual way of life. Many people when they get to know about my lifestyle try to 'help me'. I have been persisted by some people who want me to introduce me to 'God and his ways' and try to show me 'the path to salvation'. Some say that to succeed as a manager, I need to 'drink socially' and 'smoke casually' so that I am not left out of hallway meetings and party chats. Thanks to handkerchief and grape juice, I don't think this might be a problem.