Book Two: A Criticism of the Highest Values That Have Prevailed Hitherto
V: Concerning the Slander of the so-called Evil Qualities§389 Let us consider how dearly a moral canon such as this (“an ideal”) makes us pay. (Its enemies are — well? The “egoists”).
The melancholy astuteness of self-abasement in Europe (Pascal, La Rochefoucauld) inner enfeeblement, discouragement and self-vexation of the non-herd animals —
The perpetual process of laying stress upon mediocre qualities as being the most valuable (modesty in rank and file, the creature who is an instrument).
Pangs of conscience associated with all that is self-glorifying and original:
thus follows the unhappiness, the gloominess of the world, from the standpoint of stronger and better-constituted men!
Herd consciousness and timorousness transferred to philosophy and religion.
Let us leave the psychological impossibility of a purely unselfish action out of consideration!