Friedrich Nietzsche

Human, All Too Human II

The Wanderer and His Shadow

329 The right time to swear fidelity. -We sometimes proceed in a spiritual direction that is contrary to our talents; for a time, we struggle heroically against the tide and the wind, basically against ourselves: we become tired, pant; whatever we accomplish brings no real joy, for we think we have paid too great a price for this success. Indeed, we despair about our fertility, our future, perhaps in the midst of victory. Finally, finally, we turn around- and now the wind blows in our sail and drives us into our channel. What happiness! How certain of victory we feel! Now, for the first time, we know what we are and what we want; now we swear fidelity to ourselves and are permitted to do so -as those who know.