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Beyond Good and Evil · Chapter
118 explained
A brief aphorism exploring the purity of admiration found in one who has not yet considered the possibility of being admired themselves.
What happens
A brief aphorism exploring the purity of admiration found in one who has not yet considered the possibility of being admired themselves.
Themes in this chapter
Psychology as the Fundamental Science
Analyzes a subtle psychological state, distinguishing between pure admiration and the self-consciousness that corrupts it.
Characters to notice
- The Narrator
Presents the psychological observation on the nature of admiration and self-awareness.
Key passages
“There is an innocence of admiration: it is possessed by him to whom it has not yet occurred that he himself may be admired some day.”
True, unspoiled admiration belongs only to someone who has never thought about becoming an object of admiration.
Defines a psychological state of purity based on a lack of reflexive self-consciousness.