# 157 explained — Beyond Good and Evil

> Chapter companion for Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche.

## What happens

A single, stark aphorism presents the thought of suicide as a powerful psychological tool for enduring profound suffering.

## Themes in this chapter

### Psychology as the Fundamental Science

The aphorism is a psychological observation, analyzing how a thought functions as a coping mechanism to endure suffering.

### The Discipline of Suffering

Implies a form of mental discipline, where the mere possibility of an exit provides the strength to continue living through hardship.

## Character check-ins

### The Narrator

Presents the aphorism, adopting a detached, psychological perspective on a dark subject.

## Key lines

> The thought of suicide is a great consolation: by means of it one gets successfully through many a bad night.

The mere idea that one could choose to end one's life serves as a profound comfort, enabling a person to survive periods of intense despair.

_Highlights the paradoxical, life-preserving function of contemplating death._

## Links

- HTML: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/beyond_good_and_evil_se/chapters/157
- Book: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/beyond_good_and_evil_se
- All chapters: https://www.betterreads.online/discover/beyond_good_and_evil_se/chapters