Human All Too Human

Notes

From the preface:

Thus I invented, when I needed them, the "free spirits" too, to whom this heavyhearted-stouthearted book with the title Human, All-Too-Human is dedicated. There are no such "free spirits", were none - but, as I said, I needed their company at the time, to be of good cheer in the midst of bad things (illness, isolation, foreignness, sloth, inactivity); as brave fellows and spectres to chat and laugh with, when one feels like chatting and laughing, and whom one sends to hell when they get boring - as reparation for lacking friends.

- Preface, Section 2

Quotes

No power can maintain itself if only hypocrites represent it. However many "worldly" elements the Catholic Church may have, its strength rests on those priestly natures, still numerous, who make life deep and difficult for themselves...

The person who wants to gain wisdom profits greatly from having thought for a time that humans are basically evil and degenerate: this idea is wrong, like its opposite, but for whole periods of time it was predominant and its roots have sunk deep into us and into our world. To understand ourselves we must understand it; but to climb higher, we must then climb over and beyond it.

Love is foolish, and possesses a horn of plenty; from it she dispenses her gifts to everyone, even if he does not deserve them, indeed, even if he does not thank her or them. She is as non-partisan as rain, which (according to the Bible and to experience) rains not only upon the unjust, but sometimes soaks the just man to the skin, too.