129 things from this book went into her brain. Here are the first 6.
Nietzsche argued that a new set of values could reshape a people, as Christianity once did to the ancient world, so the Superman was an ideal to work toward now, not a distant species.
Nietzsche wrote that a new goal needs new means, a sturdier way of living than before, and that you cannot keep gaining it without also spending some of it.
Nietzsche found that being forsaken by friends is very different from choosing solitude on purpose, a distinction worth keeping when a hard path leaves you feeling alone.
Nietzsche found that even clear writing can go unheard: many readers misunderstood Zarathustra because nobody was yet ripe for his thoughts.
Nietzsche nearly stopped writing in Rome, but once back in the mountain air his creative energy returned, a reminder that a low stretch need not be the end.
Nietzsche described inspiration as ideas that arrive suddenly and unbidden, so that one hears them rather than seeks them.
In Thus Spake Zarathustra, truthfulness is held up as the highest virtue, the opposite of the idealist who flees from reality.
In Thus Spake Zarathustra, an old hermit advises that the best help is to carry part of people's load alongside them, rather than hand out alms.
Nietzsche has Zarathustra urge people to stay true to the earth and wary of those who promise hopes beyond it, since such promises can drain the life out of living.
Nietzsche warns that self-satisfaction, more than sin, leaves people stuck, and asks whether their own virtues and reason ever make them truly passionate.
Nietzsche has Zarathustra say that what is great in people is that they are a bridge and not a goal, living for what comes after them.
Nietzsche warns of the last man, who wants comfort above all, makes everything small, and can no longer despise himself or aim beyond himself.
In Thus Spake Zarathustra, the hero decides he needs living companions who follow because they want to follow themselves, not a crowd or a dead weight to carry.
Nietzsche sets out three changes of the spirit: the camel that carries heavy loads, the lion that wins its own freedom, and the child who starts afresh.
Nietzsche contrasts the camel's obedience to 'Thou shalt' with the lion's 'I will', the courage to create your own values rather than simply inherit them.
In Thus Spake Zarathustra, a useful evening question is what you overcame, reconciled and learned during the day, a daily review worth keeping.
Nietzsche suggests that the more honestly we speak about ourselves, the more we find worth in the body and the earth, instead of looking for escape beyond them.
Nietzsche suggests many strong passions can grow into virtues when aimed at a high purpose, though too many competing virtues can wear a person down.
In Thus Spake Zarathustra, the answer to 'life is hard to bear' is not to act delicate about it, but to meet it with courage and some laughter.
In Thus Spake Zarathustra, a tree on a hill shows that the higher we reach, the more our roots must struggle downward, so ambition always comes with its own inner pull.
Zarathustra tells a discouraged youth that whoever creates something new will stand in the way of those who want things kept as they are, so hold on to your highest hope.
In Thus Spake Zarathustra, the advice is to respect your opponents rather than despise them, because a worthy rival can push you to grow and your own success can come from theirs.
Nietzsche observes that the devisers of new values usually work away from the market-place and fame, and that deep ideas take time to show what has fallen into them.
Nietzsche suggests a good friend is one who will stand against you when needed, since real closeness can survive honest disagreement.
Nietzsche holds that people create their own values rather than receiving them from heaven, so the values we live by are ours to examine and remake.
In Thus Spake Zarathustra, freedom is asked about by what it is for, not only what it escapes from, since many who cast off a yoke lose their worth along with it.
Nietzsche observes that those who rise above others draw envy and misunderstanding, and must still shine for them regardless of how they are received.
Nietzsche wrote that to become new you must first be willing to burn away the old self, since nothing new grows without letting go of what was.
Nietzsche has Zarathustra say it is nobler to admit you are in the wrong than to press your right, though only someone secure enough can afford to do so.
Nietzsche has Zarathustra say that to be long loved, one should step back while still at one's best, knowing when to leave a stage.
In Thus Spake Zarathustra, the highest virtue is a giving one: like gold, it is uncommon and always bestows itself rather than hoarding.
In Thus Spake Zarathustra, the teacher urges his followers to stop leaning on him and find themselves, since believers who only follow a leader have not yet sought their own way.
Nietzsche observes that the hardest part of giving is keeping an open hand while staying modest, not letting generosity turn into pride.
Nietzsche says creating is a great relief from suffering, though the creator must be willing to endure the pangs of birth, much like a new beginning in one's own life.
Nietzsche observes that great favours can breed resentment rather than gratitude, so help is best given in a way that does not shame the person receiving it.
Nietzsche asks why we should expect a mother to be paid for her love, and suggests that good deeds are best done for their own sake, the way a parent loves a child.
Nietzsche suggests that letting go of revenge is a bridge to a higher hope, since a strong urge to punish often hides envy or resentment.
Nietzsche describes the spirit as life cutting into itself, so that knowledge grows through its own struggle rather than comfort.
Nietzsche notes that someone who gives constantly can grow weary and hard-handed, so generosity needs its own care and renewal to stay alive.
After many losses and blows, Zarathustra finds something that persists through the years, which he calls his will: a quiet, unchanged resolve that keeps carrying him forward.
Nietzsche observes that commanding is harder than obeying, since the leader carries the burden of everyone who follows and must answer to their own law.
Nietzsche suggests that building something good often means breaking old values first, and that keeping hard truths unspoken is worse than saying them.
Nietzsche suggests real strength shows as relaxed grace rather than strain, and that the hardest thing for a determined person is to stand at ease.
Nietzsche holds that the purest will is the one that seeks to create beyond itself, so love of the world shows itself in making something new rather than only admiring it.
Nietzsche warns against people who sit in the cool shade and only comment on other people's thoughts, never risking their own. Be a thinker, not just a spectator.
In Thus Spake Zarathustra, Nietzsche suggests that belief does not make anyone wise, not even belief in oneself. Check the reasons behind what you hold to be true.
Nietzsche observes that some writers muddy their water so it looks deep. Real depth can be seen through, so clarity is a good test of a thinker.
Nietzsche observes that the greatest events are not the noisiest but the stillest hours, and that the world turns on those who create new values rather than new noise.
Nietzsche suggests that what has been knocked down can rise again in a finer form, so a setback can be the start of a renewed life for an idea or a thing.
Nietzsche warns against people who are all one thing, a big eye or a big mouth, and lack everything else. A full life needs more than one strength.
In Thus Spake Zarathustra, Nietzsche calls redemption the turning of every "it was" into "thus would I have it". We cannot rewrite the past, but we can choose what it means for what we do next.
Nietzsche warns that wishing the past undone breeds resentment, and a spirit of revenge that turns on everyone nearby. Accepting what has happened is the way out.
Nietzsche notes that when pride is wounded, something better than pride can grow up in its place.
Nietzsche observes that the stillest words can bring the storm, and that thoughts arriving on doves' feet often guide the world. Quiet ideas can carry more force than loud ones.
In Thus Spake Zarathustra, Nietzsche admits his fruit is ripe but he is not yet ripe for it. Some work has to wait until the maker has matured enough to carry it.
Nietzsche has Zarathustra learn to look away from himself in order to see many things. Stepping outside your own view is what lets you see the wider ground of a situation.
Nietzsche writes that the highest mountains come out of the sea, so the greatest heights grow from the deepest places. Hard low points can be where a higher life starts.
Nietzsche calls courage the best slayer of dread, especially the courage that attacks. Facing a fear head on, rather than waiting it out, is what lets you move forward.
Nietzsche shows courage as the will to say of every hard life, "Once more!", so that even suffering is met with a willingness to live it again.
Nietzsche asks us to imagine this very moment returning again and again, and to ask whether we could say yes to that. It is a test for living so each moment is one you would choose again.
