A maxim is a short statement that conveys a truth, especially as a rule of conduct. In the section titled “Maxims and Arrows,” Nietzsche offers a series of 44 numbered maxims that propose rules or ways of thinking that people ought to adhere to if they want to overcome the nihilism and decadence of modernity.
Maxim Quotes in Twilight of the Idols
The Twilight of the Idols quotes below are all either spoken by Maxim or refer to Maxim. For each quote, you can also see the other terms and themes related to it (each theme is indicated by its own dot and icon, like this one:
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Maxims and Arrows
Quotes
31. When it is trodden on a worm will curl up. That is prudent. It thereby reduces the chance of being trodden on again. In the language of morals: humility.
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Explanation and Analysis:
39. The disappointed man speaks. – I sought great human beings, I never found anything but the apes of their ideal.
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Maxim Term Timeline in Twilight of the Idols
The timeline below shows where the term Maxim appears in Twilight of the Idols. The colored dots and icons indicate which themes are associated with that appearance.
Maxims and Arrows
“Maxims and Arrows” is a series of 44 numbered maxims (short phrases that express a principle...
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Maxim #8 reads, “What does not kill me makes me stronger.” Maxim #9 states that if...
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In Maxim #22, Nietzsche wonders how, if “‘bad men have no songs,” the Russians have songs. Maxim...
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“When it is trodden on a worm will curl up,” Nietzsche states in Maxim #31. He continues, explaining that this curled-up worm is what humans call “humility.” Maxim #32...
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How the “Real World” at last Became a Myth
This section consists of a series of six maxims to summarize how philosophy came to reject the “real world.” Maxim #1 states that wise...
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