Nietzsche on leaving a cult

484. GOING OUR OWN WAY.-When we take the decisive step, and make up our minds to follow our own path, a secret is suddenly revealed to us: it is clear that all those who had hitherto been friendly to us and on intimate terms with us judged themselves to be superior to us, and are offended now. The best among them are indulgent, and are content to wait patiently until we once more find the “right path”- they know it, apparently. Others make fun of us, and pretend that we have been seized with a temporary attack of mild insanity, or spitefully point out some seducer. The more malicious say we are vain fools, and do their best to blacken our motives; while the worst of all see in us their greatest enemy, someone who is thirsting for revenge after many years of dependence,-and are afraid of us. What, then, are we to do? My own opinion is that we should begin our sovereignty by promising to all our acquaintances in advance a whole year’s amnesty for sins of every kind.

-Friedrich Nietzsche, The Dawn of Day

2 thoughts on “Nietzsche on leaving a cult”

  1. My IMT branch needs more posts on this website. We need material to read out loud at our internal socials for a good laugh.

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