An excerpt from the original text.(complete · 776 words)
nd one day Zarathustra made a sign to his disciples, and spake these
words unto them:
“Here are priests: but although they are mine enemies, pass them quietly
and with sleeping swords!
Even among them there are heroes; many of them have suffered too much—:
so they want to make others suffer.
Bad enemies are they: nothing is more revengeful than their meekness.
And readily doth he soil himself who toucheth them.
But my blood is related to theirs; and I want withal to see my blood
honoured in theirs.”—
And when they had passed, a pain attacked Zarathustra; but not long had
he struggled with the pain, when he began to speak thus:
It moveth my heart for those priests. They also go against my taste; but
that is the smallest matter unto me, since I am among men.
But I suffer and have suffered with them: prisoners are they unto me,
and stigmatised ones. He whom they call Saviour put them in fetters:—
In fetters of false values and fatuous words! Oh, that some one would
save them from their Saviour!
On an isle they once thought they had landed, when the sea tossed them
about; but behold, it was a slumbering monster!
False values and fatuous words: these are the worst monsters for
mortals—long slumbereth and waiteth the fate that is in them.
But at last it cometh and awaketh and devoureth and engulfeth whatever
hath built tabernacles upon it.
Oh, just look at those tabernacles which those priests have built
themselves! Churches, they call their sweet-smelling caves!
Oh, that falsified light, that mustified air! Where the soul—may not
fly aloft to its height!
But so enjoineth their belief: “On your knees, up the stair, ye
sinners!”
Verily, rather would I see a shameless one than the distorted eyes of
their shame and devotion!
Who created for themselves such caves and penitence-stairs? Was it not
those who sought to conceal themselves, and were ashamed under the clear
sky?
And only when the clear sky looketh again through ruined roofs, and down
upon grass and red poppies on ruined walls—will I again turn my heart
to the seats of this God.
They called God that which opposed and afflicted them: and verily, there
was much hero-spirit in their worship!
And they knew not how to love their God otherwise than by nailing men to
the cross!
As corpses they thought to live; in black draped they their corpses;
even in their talk do I still feel the evil flavour of charnel-houses.
And he who liveth nigh unto them liveth nigh unto black pools, wherein
the toad singeth his song with sweet gravity.
Better songs would they have to sing, for me to believe in their
Saviour: more like saved ones would his disciples have to appear unto
me!
Naked, would I like to see them: for beauty alone should preach
penitence. But whom would that disguised affliction convince!
Verily, their Saviours themselves came not from freedom and freedom’s
seventh heaven! Verily, they themselves never trod the carpets of
knowledge!
Of defects did the spirit of those Saviours consist; but into every
defect had they put their illusion, their stop-gap, which they called
God.
In their pity was their spirit drowned; and when they swelled and
o’erswelled with pity, there always floated to the surface a great
folly.
Eagerly and with shouts drove they their flock over their foot-bridge;
as if there were but one foot-bridge to the future! Verily, those
shepherds also were still of the flock!
Small spirits and spacious souls had those shepherds: but, my brethren,
what small domains have even the most spacious souls hitherto been!
Characters of blood did they write on the way they went, and their folly
taught that truth is proved by blood.
But blood is the very worst witness to truth; blood tainteth the purest
teaching, and turneth it into delusion and hatred of heart.
And when a person goeth through fire for his teaching—what doth that
prove! It is more, verily, when out of one’s own burning cometh one’s
own teaching!
Sultry heart and cold head; where these meet, there ariseth the
blusterer, the “Saviour.”
Greater ones, verily, have there been, and higher-born ones, than those
whom the people call Saviours, those rapturous blusterers!
And by still greater ones than any of the Saviours must ye be saved, my
brethren, if ye would find the way to freedom!
Never yet hath there been a Superman. Naked have I seen both of them,
the greatest man and the smallest man:—
All-too-similar are they still to each other. Verily, even the greatest
found I—all-too-human!—
Thus spake Zarathustra.
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Let's Analyse the Pattern
Authority figures who build systems based on their own unhealed trauma, believing their wounds give them wisdom to guide others.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to recognize when someone's leadership stems from unhealed trauma rather than genuine wisdom.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when authority figures demand you prove yourself through the same struggles they endured—that's wounded healing, not guidance.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"Bad enemies are they: nothing is more revengeful than their meekness."
Context: Warning his disciples about the passive-aggressive nature of religious authorities
This reveals how false humility can be a weapon. People who act meek and humble while secretly resenting others often become the most vindictive. Their 'holiness' becomes a mask for cruelty.
In Today's Words:
Watch out for people who act all sweet and humble - they're often the ones who'll stab you in the back the hardest.
"He whom they call Saviour put them in fetters: In fetters of false values and fatuous words!"
Context: Explaining how religious leaders became prisoners of their own system
This shows the tragic irony of how liberation movements can become new forms of oppression. The very person meant to free people created a new kind of prison made of guilt and empty rhetoric.
In Today's Words:
The person who was supposed to set them free actually just gave them a different kind of chains - mental and emotional ones.
"Blood is the worst witness to truth."
Context: Arguing against martyrdom as proof of correctness
This challenges the common belief that suffering for something proves it's right. Pain and sacrifice create emotional attachment, not logical proof. Truth should stand on its own merit, not on how much someone bled for it.
In Today's Words:
Just because someone suffered for something doesn't make it true - pain proves nothing except that someone was willing to hurt.
"On an isle they once thought they had landed, when the sea tossed them about; but behold, it was a slumbering monster!"
Context: Describing how false beliefs appear to offer safety but are actually dangerous
This metaphor shows how people mistake temporary relief for permanent solution. What looks like solid ground is actually something that will eventually wake up and destroy everything built on it.
In Today's Words:
They thought they'd found safe ground, but they'd actually just landed on something dangerous that was temporarily asleep.
Thematic Threads
Authority
In This Chapter
Religious priests represent false authority built on others' shame and guilt rather than genuine wisdom
Development
Building on earlier critiques of social conformity, now examining how authority figures maintain power
In Your Life:
You might see this in supervisors who lead through intimidation rather than competence
Identity
In This Chapter
The priests have made their wounds and limitations into their core identity and teaching
Development
Continues exploring how people mistake their circumstances for their true nature
In Your Life:
You might catch yourself defining who you are by your worst experiences or biggest fears
Personal Growth
In This Chapter
Zarathustra argues that real growth comes from within, not from external saviors or systems
Development
Reinforces the theme that transformation is an inside job requiring personal responsibility
In Your Life:
You might recognize when you're looking for someone else to fix problems only you can solve
Social Expectations
In This Chapter
Religious institutions create expectations of shame, guilt, and submission as virtues
Development
Expands on how social systems shape behavior through manufactured obligations
In Your Life:
You might notice when institutions make you feel guilty for having needs or setting boundaries
Class
In This Chapter
The priest-follower dynamic mirrors how those in power keep others 'on their knees' through manufactured shame
Development
Introduced here as a power structure that maintains hierarchy through emotional manipulation
In Your Life:
You might see this in workplaces where management uses guilt and shame to prevent workers from advocating for themselves
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
Zarathustra says priests have built their power on making people feel ashamed and guilty. What specific examples does he give of how this works?
analysis • surface - 2
Why does Zarathustra argue that martyrdom - suffering or dying for a belief - doesn't prove that belief is true?
analysis • medium - 3
Think about authority figures in your life (bosses, family members, teachers). Can you identify any who seem to lead from their wounds rather than their wisdom?
application • medium - 4
Zarathustra shows compassion for the priests even while criticizing them harshly. How do you balance holding people accountable while recognizing they might be trapped by systems that hurt them too?
application • deep - 5
What does this chapter suggest about the difference between external saviors and internal freedom? How do you know when you're truly thinking for yourself versus following someone else's rules?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map the Wounded Healer
Think of someone in authority over you who seems to operate from past wounds rather than present wisdom. Write their story: What might have hurt them? How did they turn that hurt into power over others? What rules or demands do they make that seem more about their pain than your growth?
Consider:
- •Look for patterns where their 'help' feels more like control or shame
- •Notice if they demand you prove yourself the same way they had to
- •Consider whether their advice comes from fear of their own past mistakes
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you recognized you were following someone else's unhealed wounds rather than your own wisdom. What helped you see the pattern, and how did you navigate it?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 27: The Problem with Virtue for Rewards
Zarathustra prepares to speak with thunder and fireworks to wake up those who have fallen asleep to life's possibilities. Sometimes gentle wisdom isn't enough - sometimes you need to shake people awake.
