Summary
Zarathustra encounters two kings wandering in his mountain domain, leading a donkey and dressed in royal finery. These aren't typical rulers—they're deeply disillusioned with their positions and the corrupt society they represent. The kings reveal their disgust with the 'populace-hodgepodge' of modern civilization, where everything has become mixed up and false. They prefer honest peasants to the gilded, artificial nobility they're surrounded by. Most tellingly, they admit they're not truly the 'first men' (the best of humanity) but are forced to pretend they are, living as mere 'show-pieces' for those who traffic in power. The kings are actually on a quest to find the 'higher man'—someone genuinely worthy of leadership—and they're bringing the ass as a gift. This scene exposes a crucial problem: when those in power aren't actually the most capable or worthy, everything in society becomes distorted. The kings represent inherited authority that has lost its legitimacy, trapped between their noble pretensions and their awareness of their own inadequacy. Zarathustra is intrigued by their honesty and self-awareness, even composing a mocking rhyme about the decline of civilization. The chapter reveals how power structures can persist long after they've lost their moral foundation, and how those within them can become prisoners of their own positions.
Coming Up in Chapter 64
As Zarathustra continues his mountain journey, lost in thought about these complex questions of leadership and worth, he accidentally steps on someone in the forest. The encounter turns violent before taking an unexpected turn, introducing another character who will challenge Zarathustra's understanding of human nature.
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An excerpt from the original text.(~500 words)
E1. re Zarathustra had been an hour on his way in the mountains and forests, he saw all at once a strange procession. Right on the path which he was about to descend came two kings walking, bedecked with crowns and purple girdles, and variegated like flamingoes: they drove before them a laden ass. “What do these kings want in my domain?” said Zarathustra in astonishment to his heart, and hid himself hastily behind a thicket. When however the kings approached to him, he said half-aloud, like one speaking only to himself: “Strange! Strange! How doth this harmonise? Two kings do I see—and only one ass!” Thereupon the two kings made a halt; they smiled and looked towards the spot whence the voice proceeded, and afterwards looked into each other’s faces. “Such things do we also think among ourselves,” said the king on the right, “but we do not utter them.” The king on the left, however, shrugged his shoulders and answered: “That may perhaps be a goat-herd. Or an anchorite who hath lived too long among rocks and trees. For no society at all spoileth also good manners.” “Good manners?” replied angrily and bitterly the other king: “what then do we run out of the way of? Is it not ‘good manners’? Our ‘good society’? Better, verily, to live among anchorites and goatherds, than with our gilded, false, over-rouged populace—though it call itself ‘good society.’ —Though it call itself ‘nobility.’ But there all is false and foul, above all the blood—thanks to old evil diseases and worse curers. The best and dearest to me at present is still a sound peasant, coarse, artful, obstinate and enduring: that is at present the noblest type. The peasant is at present the best; and the peasant type should be master! But it is the kingdom of the populace—I no longer allow anything to be imposed upon me. The populace, however—that meaneth, hodgepodge. Populace-hodgepodge: therein is everything mixed with everything, saint and swindler, gentleman and Jew, and every beast out of Noah’s ark. Good manners! Everything is false and foul with us. No one knoweth any longer how to reverence: it is THAT precisely that we run away from. They are fulsome obtrusive dogs; they gild palm-leaves. This loathing choketh me, that we kings ourselves have become false, draped and disguised with the old faded pomp of our ancestors, show-pieces for the stupidest, the craftiest, and whosoever at present trafficketh for power. We ARE NOT the first men—and have nevertheless to STAND FOR them: of this imposture have we at last become weary and disgusted. From the rabble have we gone out of the way, from all those bawlers and scribe-blowflies, from the trader-stench, the ambition-fidgeting, the bad breath—: fie, to live among the rabble; —Fie, to stand for the first men among the rabble! Ah, loathing! Loathing! Loathing! What doth it now matter about us kings!”— “Thine old sickness seizeth thee,” said here the king on the left, “thy loathing seizeth thee,...
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Intelligence Amplifier™ Analysis
The Road of Hollow Authority - When Leaders Know They Don't Belong
People trapped in positions they know they don't deserve become performers rather than leaders, corrupting the systems they're supposed to serve.
Why This Matters
Connect literature to life
This chapter teaches how to distinguish between legitimate authority and empty performance of power.
Practice This Today
This week, notice when someone in charge seems to be acting a role rather than leading—watch for the gap between their position and their actual confidence or competence.
Now let's explore the literary elements.
Terms to Know
Populace-hodgepodge
Nietzsche's term for the mixed-up, confused mass of ordinary people who have lost their direction and values. It's when society becomes a jumbled mess where nothing is genuine anymore.
Modern Usage:
We see this in how social media creates echo chambers where people just repeat what sounds good without thinking it through.
Gilded nobility
People who look wealthy and important on the surface but are actually shallow and corrupt underneath. They're all show with no real substance or character.
Modern Usage:
Think of influencers or politicians who project success but have no real skills or integrity behind the image.
Higher man
Someone who has genuinely developed themselves and earned their position through character and ability, not just inheritance or luck. The person who should actually be leading.
Modern Usage:
The supervisor everyone actually respects because they know their job and treat people fairly, not just the one with the title.
Anchorite
A hermit or someone who withdraws from society to live alone, usually for spiritual reasons. In this context, someone who has rejected the falseness of civilization.
Modern Usage:
People who go off-grid or quit social media because they're tired of all the fake interactions and drama.
Show-pieces
People who exist mainly to be displayed or looked at, not to actually do anything meaningful. They're human decorations for those in real power.
Modern Usage:
Corporate executives who are hired for their image while consultants do the actual work, or trophy spouses at company events.
Legitimate authority
Power that people respect because it's earned through competence and character, not just inherited or grabbed through politics.
Modern Usage:
The difference between a boss people follow because they have to versus one they follow because they trust their judgment.
Characters in This Chapter
The Two Kings
Disillusioned rulers
They represent inherited power that has lost its meaning. They're honest about their inadequacy and disgusted with the corrupt society they're supposed to lead. They're searching for someone genuinely worthy of authority.
Modern Equivalent:
CEOs who inherited the family business but know they're not qualified
Zarathustra
Observer and philosopher
He watches the kings with both amusement and interest. His comment about 'two kings and only one ass' shows his sharp wit in pointing out absurdities in power structures.
Modern Equivalent:
The coworker who sees through all the workplace politics and isn't afraid to call it out
The Ass
Gift/offering
The donkey being led by the kings represents their offering to the 'higher man' they seek. It's also symbolic of burden-bearing and humble service.
Modern Equivalent:
The peace offering someone brings when they know they've messed up
Key Quotes & Analysis
"Two kings do I see—and only one ass!"
Context: When Zarathustra first sees the strange procession of two kings leading a donkey
This witty observation points out the absurdity of having multiple rulers when there's clearly a hierarchy problem. It suggests that maybe there should be one real leader instead of two pretenders.
In Today's Words:
Why are there two bosses when there's only one person doing the actual work?
"Better, verily, to live among anchorites and goatherds, than with our gilded, false, over-rouged populace"
Context: When explaining why they've left their kingdom and are wandering in the mountains
This reveals how even those in power can become disgusted with the artificial, fake nature of high society. They prefer honest, simple people to the corrupt elite.
In Today's Words:
I'd rather hang out with regular working people than deal with all these fake, plastic people in suits.
"We are not the first men—though we must stand for such"
Context: When admitting their inadequacy as leaders
This is a moment of brutal honesty about how power often goes to people who aren't actually the best qualified. They're forced to pretend to be worthy when they know they're not.
In Today's Words:
We're not the best people for this job, but we have to act like we are.
"For no society at all spoileth also good manners"
Context: Commenting on Zarathustra's blunt observation about their situation
This suggests that isolation from corrupt society can actually make someone more honest and direct, even if it seems rude by conventional standards.
In Today's Words:
When you stop playing the social game, you start telling the truth, even if it sounds harsh.
Thematic Threads
Class
In This Chapter
The kings represent inherited class position divorced from actual merit or capability
Development
Deepens from earlier critiques of social hierarchy to show how even those at the top can be victims of the system
In Your Life:
You might feel trapped in a role others expect you to play based on your background rather than your actual abilities.
Identity
In This Chapter
The kings struggle between their performed royal identity and their awareness of their inadequacy
Development
Continues the theme of authentic self versus social mask, showing how power positions can trap identity
In Your Life:
You might find yourself performing a version of yourself that others expect rather than being who you actually are.
Social Expectations
In This Chapter
Society demands the kings play their roles even though everyone knows the performance is hollow
Development
Builds on earlier themes by showing how collective delusion maintains dysfunctional systems
In Your Life:
You might participate in workplace or family dynamics that everyone knows are broken but nobody wants to address.
Personal Growth
In This Chapter
The kings show self-awareness about their limitations but seem unable to transcend their positions
Development
Contrasts with Zarathustra's journey by showing awareness without transformation
In Your Life:
You might recognize your own patterns and limitations but feel stuck in circumstances that prevent change.
Human Relationships
In This Chapter
The relationship between the kings and their subjects is based on mutual deception rather than genuine respect
Development
Introduces the idea that power relationships can corrupt both sides of the dynamic
In Your Life:
You might find that relationships based on roles or expectations feel hollow compared to those based on genuine connection.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
- 1
Why are these kings wandering around with a donkey instead of ruling from their palaces?
analysis • surface - 2
What does it mean when the kings say they're not truly the 'first men' but have to pretend they are?
analysis • medium - 3
Where have you seen someone in authority who clearly didn't belong in that position? How did everyone around them handle it?
application • medium - 4
If you found yourself in a position you weren't qualified for, what would be your strategy for handling it without destroying your reputation?
application • deep - 5
Why do people sometimes stay trapped in roles they hate instead of walking away like these kings did?
reflection • deep
Critical Thinking Exercise
Map Your Authority Landscape
Think about the different areas of your life where you hold some kind of authority or where others look to you for leadership - at work, in your family, in your community. For each area, honestly assess whether your authority comes from actual competence or from other factors like seniority, tradition, or just being the only one willing to do the job. Then identify one area where someone else might actually be more qualified but lacks the official position.
Consider:
- •Authority based on competence feels different than authority based on position - notice the difference in how confident you feel
- •Sometimes the most qualified person is the newest or youngest, which creates awkward dynamics
- •Consider whether you're enabling someone else's hollow authority by not speaking up about better alternatives
Journaling Prompt
Write about a time when you had to work under someone who clearly wasn't qualified for their position. How did you navigate that situation, and what would you do differently now?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 64: The Conscientious Scholar
Moving forward, we'll examine deep expertise in one area beats shallow knowledge of many, and understand intellectual honesty requires admitting what you don't know. These insights bridge the gap between classic literature and modern experience.