Friedrich Nietzsche, Untimely Meditations, translated by Hollingdale, “Schopenhauer as educator,” § 3.2, p. 136

Nothing better or happier can befall a man than to be in the proximity of one of those victorious ones, who, precisely because they have thought the most deeply, must love what is most alive and, as sages, incline in the end to the beautiful. They speak truly, they do not stammer, and do not chatter about what they have heard; they are active and live truly and not the uncanny masquerade men are accustomed to live: which is why, in their proximity, we for once feel human and natural for once, and feel like exclaiming with Goethe: “How glorious and precious is a living thing!”

— Friedrich Nietzsche on Sage (philosophy)

What It Means

This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "Nothing better or happier can befall a man than to be in the proximity of one of those victorious ones, who, precisely because they have thought the most deeply, must love what is most alive and, as sages, incline in the end to the beautiful. They speak truly, they do not stammer, and do not chatter about what they have heard; they are active and live truly and not the uncanny masquerade men are accustomed to live: which is why, in their proximity, we for once feel human and natural for once, and feel like exclaiming with Goethe: “How glorious and precious is a living thing!”" in the context of "Friedrich Nietzsche, Untimely Meditations, translated by Hollingdale, “Schopenhauer as educator,” § 3.2, p. 136" to mean that wisdom is timeless.

Source: Wikiquote: "Sage (philosophy)" (Quotes) The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 18, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Friedrich Nietzsche

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.