Opposites and Transitions

by Peter Saint-Andre

2002-12-03

I found this paragraph interesting (Human, All Too Human, Volume II, Part 2, ยง 67):

Habit of seeing opposites. -- The general imprecise way of observing sees everywhere in nature opposites (as, e.g., "warm and cold") where there are, not opposites, but differences of degree. This bad habit has led us into wanting to comprehend and analyze the inner world, too, the spiritual-moral world, in terms of such opposites. An unspeakable amount of painfulness, arrogance, harshness, estrangement, frigidity has entered into human feelings because we think we see opposites instead of transitions.

I think I could fill my blog with a quote a day from Nietzsche and not run out for several years. I wouldn't agree with them all, but who ever said agreement is a fundamental value, especially in intellectual matters? Would that I had time not only to quote from Nietzsche but also to reflect on his thoughts at length.


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