One will rarely err if extreme actions be ascribed to vanity, ordinary actions to habit, and mean actions to fear.

Morality is neither rational nor absolute nor natural. World has known many moral systems, each of which advances claims universality; all moral systems are therefore particular, serving a specific purpose for their propagators or creators, and enforcing a certain regime that disciplines human beings for social life by narrowing our perspectives and limiting our horizons.

When one gives up Christian belief one thereby deprives oneself of the right to Christian morality. For the latter is absolutely not self-evident: one must make this point clear again and again, in spite of English shallowpates.

In every ascetic morality man worships a part of himself as God and for that he needs to diabolize the other part.

While every noble morality develops from a triumphant affirmation of itself, slave morality from the outset says no to what is outside, what is different, what is not itself; and this No is its creative deed.

All preachers of morality, as also all theologians have a bad habit in common: all of them try to persuade man that he is very ill, and that a severe, final, radical cure is necessary.