"Meaningless! Meaningless!" says the Teacher. "Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless."
What does man gain from all his labour at which he toils under the sun?
Generations come and generations go, but the earth remains forever.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Ale's Well with the World: Scientific American
Ale's Well with the World: Scientific American An odd little article for all you beer drinkers. A quote from it... "He who drinks beer sleeps well. He who sleeps well cannot sin. He who does not sin goes to heaven. The logic is impeccable."
Men praised a certain Wise Man to Zarathustra, because he discoursed well of sleep and of virtue, and all the young men sate before his professorial chair. Zarathustra went unto him and sate with all the young men at his feet. And thus spake the Wise Man:
"(...)Few know it, but one must have all the virtues in order to sleep well. Shall I bear false witness? Shall I commit adultery?
Shall I covet my neighbour's maidservant? Such things would ill accord with sound sleep...
Peace with God and with thy neighbour: sound sleep will have it so... Honour and obeience to the rulers, even to dishonest rulers! Sound sleep will have it so... Thus day passeth for the virtuous."
When Zarathustra heard the Wise Man speak thus, he laughed in his heart: for in his hearing a light had dawned upon him. And thus he spake within his heart:
A fool meseemeth the Wise Man with his forty thoughts; but I believe he knoweth well how to sleep.... His wisdom is: to wake in order to sleep soundly! And verily, had life no meaning, and had I to choose nonsense, this nonsense would seem to me too the worthiest to be chosen.
Now understand I clearly what once was sounght above all else when teachers of virtue were sought. Sound sleep was sought and poppy-headed virtues to promote it!
2 comments:
That quote is a beautiful piece of heresy :) I am tempted to make use of it in the future.
Men praised a certain Wise Man to Zarathustra, because he discoursed well of sleep and of virtue, and all the young men sate before his professorial chair. Zarathustra went unto him and sate with all the young men at his feet. And thus spake the Wise Man:
"(...)Few know it, but one must have all the virtues in order to sleep well. Shall I bear false witness? Shall I commit adultery?
Shall I covet my neighbour's maidservant? Such things would ill accord with sound sleep...
Peace with God and with thy neighbour: sound sleep will have it so... Honour and obeience to the rulers, even to dishonest rulers! Sound sleep will have it so... Thus day passeth for the virtuous."
When Zarathustra heard the Wise Man speak thus, he laughed in his heart: for in his hearing a light had dawned upon him. And thus he spake within his heart:
A fool meseemeth the Wise Man with his forty thoughts; but I believe he knoweth well how to sleep.... His wisdom is: to wake in order to sleep soundly! And verily, had life no meaning, and had I to choose nonsense, this nonsense would seem to me too the worthiest to be chosen.
Now understand I clearly what once was sounght above all else when teachers of virtue were sought. Sound sleep was sought and poppy-headed virtues to promote it!
Nietzsche, 'Thus spake Zarathustra'
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