The higher we soar, the smaller we appear to those who cannot fly.
Friedrich Nietzsche (1844–1900) was a German philosopher and classical philologist, appointed professor at Basel at twenty-four. He wrote aphoristically, in fragments, and put nearly everything his age took for granted under attack — morality, religion, the idea of truth. He spent his last eleven years in mental collapse, unable to work.
About this theme: Inspiration
The word inspiration literally means breathing in — something arriving from outside. The image is old, and it explains why inspiration is so often discussed as a gift that either comes or does not. The working practice of almost everyone who has made anything says the opposite: it usually shows up in the middle of the work rather than before it.
More by Friedrich Nietzsche
More on Inspiration
- Dwell on the beauty of life. Watch the stars, and see yourself running with them.— Marcus Aurelius
- It always seems impossible until it's done.— Nelson Mandela
- Arise, awake, and stop not till the goal is reached.— Swami Vivekananda
- When everything seems to be going against you, remember that the airplane takes off against the wind, not with it.— Henry Ford
- I would rather die of passion than of boredom.— Vincent van Gogh