The Thousand and One Goals

Many lands saw Zarathustra, and many peoples: thus he discovered the good and bad of many peoples. No greater power did Zarathustra find on earth than good and bad.

Zarathustra saw many lands and many peoples. In this way, he discovered what many peoples considered good and bad. Zarathustra found no greater power on earth than good and bad.

No people could live without first valuing; if a people will maintain itself, however, it must not value as its neighbour valueth.

No people can live without first establishing values. But if a people wants to survive, it must not share its neighbor’s values.

Much that passed for good with one people was regarded with scorn and contempt by another: thus I found it. Much found I here called bad, which was there decked with purple honours.

I found that one people scorned and despised much that another considered good. Much that was called bad in one place was clothed in purple honors in another.

Never did the one neighbour understand the other: ever did his soul marvel at his neighbour’s delusion and wickedness.

One neighbor never understood the other. His soul always marveled at his neighbor’s delusion and wickedness.

A table of excellencies hangeth over every people. Lo! it is the table of their triumphs; lo! it is the voice of their Will to Power.

A table of virtues hangs over every people. Look! It is the table of their triumphs. Look! It is the voice of their Will to Power.

It is laudable, what they think hard; what is indispensable and hard they call good; and what relieveth in the direst distress, the unique and hardest of all,—they extol as holy.

They praise what they consider difficult. They call what is necessary and difficult good. And they call holy whatever brings relief in the deepest distress, the one thing that is hardest of all.

Whatever maketh them rule and conquer and shine, to the dismay and envy of their neighbours, they regard as the high and foremost thing, the test and the meaning of all else.

Whatever makes them rule, conquer, and shine, to the dismay and envy of their neighbors, they consider most important. They see it as the test and meaning of everything else.

Verily, my brother, if thou knewest but a people’s need, its land, its sky, and its neighbour, then wouldst thou divine the law of its surmountings, and why it climbeth up that ladder to its hope.

Truly, my brother, if you knew a people’s needs, its land, its sky, and its neighbors, you could discern the law of how it overcomes. You could see why it climbs that ladder toward its hope.

“Always shalt thou be the foremost and prominent above others: no one shall thy jealous soul love, except a friend”—that made the soul of a Greek thrill: thereby went he his way to greatness.

“Always be the first and stand above others. Let your jealous soul love no one except a friend.” These words made a Greek’s soul thrill. By them, he found his way to greatness.

“To speak truth, and be skilful with bow and arrow”—so seemed it alike pleasing and hard to the people from whom cometh my name—the name which is alike pleasing and hard to me.

“To speak the truth and be skilled with a bow and arrow”: these seemed both pleasing and difficult to the people from whom my name comes. My name is both pleasing and difficult to me.

“To honour father and mother, and from the root of the soul to do their will”—this table of surmounting hung another people over them, and became powerful and permanent thereby.

“Honor your father and mother, and obey their will from the depths of your soul.” Another people set this rule of overcoming above themselves. By doing so, they became powerful and enduring.

“To have fidelity, and for the sake of fidelity to risk honour and blood, even in evil and dangerous courses”—teaching itself so, another people mastered itself, and thus mastering itself, became pregnant and heavy with great hopes.

“To be loyal, and for loyalty’s sake to risk honor and blood, even in evil and dangerous undertakings.” By teaching itself this, another people gained mastery over itself. In doing so, it became pregnant and heavy with great hopes.

Verily, men have given unto themselves all their good and bad. Verily, they took it not, they found it not, it came not unto them as a voice from heaven.

Truly, people have given themselves all their good and bad. Truly, they did not take or find it. It did not come to them as a voice from heaven.

Values did man only assign to things in order to maintain himself—he created only the significance of things, a human significance! Therefore, calleth he himself “man,” that is, the valuator.

Man assigned values to things only to preserve himself. He created only the meaning of things, a human meaning! That is why he calls himself “man,” meaning the one who assigns value.

Valuing is creating: hear it, ye creating ones! Valuation itself is the treasure and jewel of the valued things.

To value is to create. Hear this, you creators! Valuing itself is the treasure and jewel of the things valued.

Through valuation only is there value; and without valuation the nut of existence would be hollow. Hear it, ye creating ones!

Only through valuing things do they have value. Without valuing, the nut of existence would be hollow. Hear this, you creators!

Change of values—that is, change of the creating ones. Always doth he destroy who hath to be a creator.

A change in values means a change in the creators. Whoever must create always destroys.

Creating ones were first of all peoples, and only in late times individuals; verily, the individual himself is still the latest creation.

At first, peoples were the creators. Only much later did individuals become creators. Indeed, the individual is still the latest creation.

Peoples once hung over them tables of the good. Love which would rule and love which would obey, created for themselves such tables.

Peoples once placed lists of what was good above themselves. Love that wanted to rule and love that wanted to obey created these lists.

Older is the pleasure in the herd than the pleasure in the ego: and as long as the good conscience is for the herd, the bad conscience only saith: ego.

Pleasure in the herd is older than pleasure in the ego. And as long as the herd has a good conscience, only a bad conscience says: ego.

Verily, the crafty ego, the loveless one, that seeketh its advantage in the advantage of many—it is not the origin of the herd, but its ruin.

Truly, the cunning, loveless ego seeks its own advantage in the advantage of many. It is not the origin of the herd, but its ruin.

Loving ones, was it always, and creating ones, that created good and bad. Fire of love gloweth in the names of all the virtues, and fire of wrath.

It was always those who love and create who created good and bad. The fire of love and the fire of anger glow in the names of all the virtues.

Many lands saw Zarathustra, and many peoples: no greater power did Zarathustra find on earth than the creations of the loving ones—“good” and “bad” are they called.

Zarathustra saw many lands and many peoples. On earth, he found no greater power than the creations of those who love. They are called “good” and “bad.”

Verily, a prodigy is this power of praising and blaming. Tell me, ye brethren, who will master it for me? Who will put a fetter upon the thousand necks of this animal?

Truly, the power to praise and blame is a wonder. Tell me, brothers, who will master this power for me? Who will put chains on the thousand necks of this animal?

A thousand goals have there been hitherto, for a thousand peoples have there been. Only the fetter for the thousand necks is still lacking; there is lacking the one goal. As yet humanity hath not a goal.

So far, there have been a thousand goals, because there have been a thousand peoples. Only the chain for those thousand necks is still missing. The one goal is missing. Humanity has no goal yet.

But pray tell me, my brethren, if the goal of humanity be still lacking, is there not also still lacking—humanity itself?—

But tell me, my brothers, if humanity still has no goal, is humanity itself not also still lacking?

Thus spake Zarathustra.

This is what Zarathustra said.