Sometimes attributed to Nietzsche, the quote appears in none of his works, the likely origin is a 2012 tweet, where it was not attributed to Nietzsche. There are no earlier examples on reddit and also none on google books.
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If you crush a cockroach, you're a hero. If you crush a beautiful butterfly, you're a villain. Morals have aesthetic criteria.
— Friedrich Nietzsche
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "If you crush a cockroach, you're a hero. If you crush a beautiful butterfly, you're a villain. Morals have aesthetic criteria." in the context of "Sometimes attributed to Nietzsche, the quote appears in none of his works, the likely origin is a 2012 tweet, where it was not attributed to Nietzsche. There are no earlier examples on reddit and also none on google books." to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Friedrich Nietzsche" (Misattributed)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
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About Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (15 October 1844 – 25 August 1900) was a German philosopher, cultural critic, composer, poet, writer, and philologist whose work has exerted a profound influence on modern intellectual history. His critiques of contemporary culture, religion, and philosophy centered on a basic question regarding the foundation of values and morality.
About Friedrich Nietzsche
Friedrich Wilhelm Nietzsche (15 October 1844 – 25 August 1900) was a German philosopher, cultural critic, composer, poet, writer, and philologist whose work has exerted a profound influence on modern intellectual history. His critiques of contemporary culture, religion, and philosophy centered on a basic question regarding the foundation of values and morality.
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