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About this quote

What does it mean?
For Nietzsche, what is good is anything that increases a person’s sense of power; what is bad stems from weakness; happiness is felt when power grows and resistance falls.
In plain terms
Good = feeling stronger; bad = feeling weak; happiness = gaining power.
What can you take from it?
Pursue experiences that expand your sense of power.

Where it applies

  • personal ambition
  • conflict resolution

Putting it to work

  • seeking challenges
  • overcoming obstacles

Questions to consider

  • Is power always beneficial?
  • Can happiness exist without power?

Another view

Equating power with goodness can justify oppression.

More from Friedrich Nietzsche

  1. Einige werden posthum geboren.

    Permalink to quote #171
  2. In Christianity neither morality nor religion come into contact with reality at any point.

    Permalink to quote #173
  3. First principle: one must need to be strong - otherwise one will never become strong. - Those large hothouses [Treibhauser] for the strong, for the strongest k…

    Permalink to quote #170

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