Friedrich Nietzsche
“BECOME what you ARE.”
Friedrich Nietzsche — Ecce Homo (1888), subtitle; cf. The Gay Science §270
Documented source
Attribution
Friedrich Nietzsche
Source
Friedrich Nietzsche — Ecce Homo (1888), subtitle; cf. The Gay Science §270
In full
“BECOME what you ARE.”
Status
Public domain in the United States
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About this line
Pindar wrote it praising a victorious athlete; Nietzsche turned it into a command. Not construction, not reinvention — he’s pointing at what’s already there in you, buried under expectation and the version of yourself you assembled for other people’s comfort.
Why we carry this line
Not reinvent yourself — uncover the self that’s already there. You can read and read Nietzsche’s writings and find lots of quotes that make you pause. This one did that for me.
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