Laughter And Nietzsche
I’ve never thought of Nietzsche as having a good joke. Granted he was a good writer. If he were alive I do not think he’d be hired to write comedy skits for Saturday Night Live. His biting sardonic wit is an acquired taste.
Yesterday I read for a few minutes from one of my journals composed of favorite quotations in grad school. After finishing with my writing, reading for a few minutes seemed an agreeable way to conclude my morning at Starbucks.
Two guys were seated at the adjacent table in the crowded busy room. There I was intently peering into the little brown book. The individual seated closest to me asked, “morning devotions?” It was a Sunday morning after all, and some of those in the room surely were coming to and from church.
I answered, “It’s not what it appears, –I am reading some of Nietzsche’s words from On The Genealogy of Morals.” From the look on his face I could tell that he was not inclined to continue the conversation. He did say, “We are on our way to church.” I chuckled inwardly to myself. At a time in my past life, Nietzsche’s writings would have terrified me. Now, I carry his words around with me in a little brown notebook.
Here are some of Nietzsche’s words that I read.
Oh this insane, sad beast, man! In man there is so much that is horrific! The earth has been a madhouse for too long already! p. 73
It is in bad taste to play the martyr, to suffer for the truth. Philosophers on the other hand are obliged to do something for the truth. p. 90
We must defend ourselves a little longer against the two worst plagues reserved for us—-against great disgust at man! ….against great compassion for man. p. 104
Hardly Sunday morning devotional reading.
