Success
is
ofte
judged
diffe e tly
depe di g
o
whe e
a
pe so
is
sta di g.
Someo e
who
co ti ues
to
g ow,
thi k
diffe e tly
o
pu sue
a
ambitious
goal
may
appea
i c easi gly
dista t
to
people
who
do
ot
sha e
the
same
visio .
Ge ma
philosophe
F ied ich
Nietzsche
captu ed
this
idea
i
the
st iki g
li e,
“The
highe
we
soa ,
the
smalle
we
appea
to
those
who
ca ot
fly.”
The
quote
comes
f om
apho ism
574
of
his
1881
wo k
Dayb eak,
also
t a slated
as
The
Daw .
Nietzsche
uses
the
image
of
flight
to
explo e
pe spective
a d
the
way
people
pe ceive
those
who
move
beyo d
familia
bou da ies.
Mo e
tha
a
ce tu y
late ,
the
wo ds
ca
still
be
ead
as
a
eflectio
o
ambitio ,
i dividuality,
pe so al
g owth
a d
the
difficulty
of
bei g
u de stood
by
othe s.
Quote
of
the
day
by
F ied ich
Nietzsche:
What
does
the
quote
mea ?
At
its
simplest,
Nietzsche’s
quote
suggests
that
a
pe so ‘s
achieveme ts
ca
become
ha de
fo
othe s
to
ecog ise
as
that
pe so
moves
fu the
beyo d
o di a y
expectatio s.
The
ph ase
“the
highe
we
soa ”
ca
ep ese t
i tellectual
developme t,
ambitio ,
c eativity,
success
o
pe so al
t a sfo matio .
Mea while,
“those
who
ca ot
fly”
ep ese ts
people
who
have
ot
expe ie ced
the
same
jou ey
o
who
a e
u able
to
see
the
possibilities
that
someo e
else
has
discove ed.
F om
that
pe spective,
the
pe so
who
has
ise
highe
has
ot
actually
become
smalle .
They
o ly
appea
smalle
f om
a
dista ce.
Nietzsche
is
the efo e
d awi g
atte tio
to
the
impo ta ce
of
pe spective.
What
looks
i sig ifica t
to
o e
obse ve
ca
be
ext ao di a y
whe
viewed
f om
a othe
positio .
The
mea i g
behi d
Nietzsche’s
image
of
flyi g
The
metapho
of
flyi g
is
pa ticula ly
impo ta t
because
it
tu s
a
abst act
idea
about
huma
achieveme t
i to
a
visual
image.
Imagi e
two
people
looki g
at
a
bi d
i
the
sky.
As
the
bi d
ises
highe ,
it
becomes
smalle
to
the
pe so
watchi g
f om
the
g ou d.
Its
appa e t
size
dec eases,
but
its
actual
positio
has
cha ged
d amatically.
Nietzsche
applies
the
same
p i ciple
to
people
who
move
beyo d
co ve tio al
limits.
Thei
achieveme ts
may
become
less
visible
to
those
who
emai
at
the
same
level
of
expe ie ce.
The
quote
ca
the efo e
be
i te p eted
as
a
emi de
that
ecog itio
does
ot
always
i c ease
alo gside
achieveme t.
Sometimes,
the
fu the
a
pe so
t avels
f om
the
familia ,
the
ha de
it
becomes
fo
othe s
to
u de sta d
whe e
they
have
go e.
Nietzsche
w ote
the
quote
i
Dayb eak
The
quote
appea s
as
apho ism
574,
titled
“Neve
Fo get!”
i
Dayb eak.
The
book
was
published
i
1881
a d
is
pa t
of
the
pe iod
i
which
Nietzsche
i c easi gly
developed
his
c itique
of
co ve tio al
mo ality
a d
social
values.
Camb idge
U ive sity
P ess
desc ibes
Dayb eak
as
a
impo ta t
stage
i
the
developme t
of
Nietzsche’s
matu e
philosophy,
while
the
Sta fo d
E cyclopedia
of
Philosophy
otes
that
the
wo k
co ti ued
his
cha acte istic
apho istic
style
a d
co tai ed
ea ly
ideas
that
would
become
impo ta t
to
his
late
philosophy.The
wo di g
va ies
slightly
betwee
E glish
t a slatio s.
Some
ve sio s
use
“seem”
athe
tha
“appea ”,
but
both
t a slate
Nietzsche’s
o igi al
Ge ma
fo mulatio .
The
o igi al
apho ism
eads,
i
pa t,
“Je
höhe
wi
u s
e hebe ,
um
so
klei e
e schei e
wi
De e ,
welche
icht
fliege
kö e ”,
which
co espo ds
closely
to
the
E glish
wo di g
used
i
this
a ticle.
Nietzsche’s
idea
of
goi g
beyo d
co ve tio al
thi ki g
The
quote
becomes
mo e
i te esti g
whe
placed
alo gside
Nietzsche’s
b oade
philosophy.
He
was
deeply
c itical
of
u questio ed
assumptio s
a d
co ve tio al
mo al
values.
Rathe
tha
simply
accepti g
i he ited
ideas,
he
e cou aged
people
to
exami e
whe e
those
ideas
came
f om
a d
whethe
they
ge ui ely
se ved
huma
developme t.
His
w iti g
f eque tly
challe ged
eade s
to
eco side
what
they
ega ded
as
o mal,
valuable
o
t ue.
Dayb eak
was
pa ticula ly
co ce ed
with
questio i g
mo al
p ejudices
a d
exami i g
the
o igi s
of
values.This
helps
explai
why
the
image
of
soa i g
is
so
app op iate.
To
“fly”
ca
be
u de stood
as
movi g
beyo d
established
bou da ies
of
thought.
Someo e
who
questio s
accepted
ideas
may
i itially
appea
st a ge
o
misguided
to
people
who
emai
committed
to
those
ideas.
Nietzsche’s
poi t
is
ot
ecessa ily
that
the
pe so
who
ises
is
always
ight.
Rathe ,
the
metapho
highlights
the
gap
that
ca
eme ge
betwee
a
pe so
who
cha ges
thei
pe spective
a d
people
who
co ti ue
to
see
the
wo ld
f om
thei
existi g
positio .
Who
was
F ied ich
Nietzsche?
F ied ich
Wilhelm
Nietzsche
was
bo
o
Octobe
15,
1844,
i
Röcke ,
i
what
was
the
P ussia.
He
i itially
established
himself
as
a
classical
philologist
a d,
ema kably,
became
a
p ofesso
of
classical
philology
at
the
U ive sity
of
Basel
at
the
age
of
24.
His
ea ly
academic
ca ee
eve tually
gave
way
to
a
much
b oade
i tellectual
p oject
i volvi g
philosophy,
mo ality,
eligio ,
cultu e,
a t
a d
huma
psychology.Nietzsche
esig ed
f om
his
Basel
positio
i
1879
afte
yea s
of
se ious
health
p oblems.
He
subseque tly
spe t
much
of
his
life
t avelli g
betwee
locatio s
i
Switze la d,
Italy
a d
elsewhe e
while
co ti ui g
to
w ite.
His
majo
wo ks
i cluded
The
Bi th
of
T agedy,
Huma ,
All
Too
Huma ,
The
Gay
Scie ce,
Thus
Spoke
Za athust a,
Beyo d
Good
a d
Evil,
O
the
Ge ealogy
of
Mo ality
a d
Twilight
of
the
Idols.
He
died
i
Weima
o
August
25,
1900,
aged
55.
Why
people
who
g ow
ca
sometimes
feel
misu de stood
Nietzsche’s
quote
ca
also
be
ead
as
a
eflectio
o
the
lo eli ess
that
sometimes
accompa ies
pe so al
g owth.
Whe
people
cha ge
thei
ambitio s,
beliefs
o
p io ities,
thei
elatio ships
ca
cha ge
with
them.
F ie ds,
colleagues
o
elatives
who
o ce
u de stood
thei
choices
may
o
lo ge
ecog ise
the
pe so
they
a e
becomi g.
This
does
ot
ecessa ily
mea
that
a yo e
is
delibe ately
ejecti g
a yo e
else.
People
simply
expe ie ce
the
wo ld
f om
diffe e t
positio s.The
metapho
suggests
that
dista ce
itself
ca
alte
pe ceptio .
A
pe so
who
o ce
seemed
o di a y
may
become
difficult
to
u de sta d
afte
developi g
a
u usual
skill
o
pu sui g
a
u co ve tio al
path.
Likewise,
someo e
who
leaves
behi d
familia
su ou di gs
may
discove
that
people
who
emai
the e
ca ot
easily
see
what
they
see.
The
challe ge
is
to
co ti ue
g owi g
without
becomi g
depe de t
o
eve yo e
else’s
app oval.
The
quote
is
about
pe spective,
ot
supe io ity
It
would
be
easy
to
i te p et
Nietzsche’s
wo ds
as
sayi g
that
successful
people
a e
i he e tly
bette
tha
eve yo e
else.
That
would
be
a
much
a owe
eadi g
tha
the
quote
itself
equi es.
Nietzsche’s
metapho
is
p ima ily
about
pe spective.
A
pe so
appea s
smalle
because
of
the
dista ce
betwee
the
obse ve
a d
the
pe so
i
the
sky,
ot
because
the
pe so
has
somehow
lost
value.This
disti ctio
matte s.
Achieveme t
does
ot
automatically
make
someo e
wise ,
ki de
o
mo e
impo ta t
tha
othe s.
Simila ly,
people
who
do
ot
u de sta d
a
pa ticula
ambitio
a e
ot
ecessa ily
i fe io .
They
may
simply
have
diffe e t
expe ie ces,
p io ities
o
ways
of
seei g
the
wo ld.
The
quote
ca
the efo e
be
ead
as
a
e cou ageme t
to
ecog ise
that
huma
judgeme t
is
limited
by
pe spective.
Why
Nietzsche’s
wo ds
still
eso ate
today
The
idea
feels
pa ticula ly
eleva t
i
a
wo ld
whe e
people
co sta tly
compa e
themselves
with
othe s.
Ca ee s,
educatio ,
c eative
wo k,
e t ep e eu ship
a d
pe so al
achieveme ts
a e
f eque tly
displayed
i
public,
while
the
st uggles
behi d
them
emai
la gely
i visible.
Someo e
pu sui g
a
difficult
o
u co ve tio al
goal
may
eceive
little
ecog itio
at
fi st.
F om
the
outside,
thei
effo ts
may
eve
appea
u ealistic.Nietzsche’s
image
of
soa i g
offe s
a othe
way
to
look
at
that
situatio .
P og ess
does
ot
always
look
imp essive
to
eve yo e
watchi g
f om
the
g ou d.
Sometimes
the
people
closest
to
a
pe so ‘s
jou ey
may
be
the
least
able
to
u de sta d
whe e
that
jou ey
is
leadi g.
The
quote
the efo e
e cou ages
eade s
to
thi k
about
thei
ow
di ectio
athe
tha
measu i g
eve y
step
th ough
the
judgeme t
of
othe s.
It
does
ot
p omise
that
eve y
ambitious
pu suit
will
succeed,
but
it
suggests
that
u familia
heights
ca
be
difficult
to
app eciate
f om
the
g ou d.
The
e du i g
lesso
of
Nietzsche’s
quote
“The
highe
we
soa ,
the
smalle
we
appea
to
those
who
ca ot
fly”
emai s
memo able
because
it
captu es
a
complicated
t uth
i
a
ema kably
simple
metapho .
G owth
ca
c eate
dista ce.
Ambitio
ca
i vite
misu de sta di g.
A
ew
pe spective
ca
make
old
su ou di gs
look
diffe e t.
Nietzsche’s
wo ds
emi d
eade s
that
othe
people’s
i ability
to
u de sta d
a
jou ey
does
ot
ecessa ily
dete mi e
its
value.At
the
same
time,
the
quote
i vites
humility.
Soa i g
highe
should
ot
become
a
excuse
fo
looki g
dow
o
those
who
emai
o
the
g ou d.
Eve yo e
sees
the
wo ld
f om
thei
ow
positio ,
a d
eve y
pe spective
has
its
limitatio s.
Pe haps
the
most
useful
lesso
i
Nietzsche’s
wo ds
is
the efo e
ot
simply
to
keep
climbi g,
but
to
u de sta d
that
the
view
cha ges
as
we
ise,
a d
so
does
the
way
othe s
see
us.