Epigrams and Interludes

I'm reading Beyond Good and Evil by Friedrich Nietzsche. I feel like it's a stereotype for university students in the arts to read Nietzsche. It's like...'hey look at me, I'm reading philosophy everyone!' So to avoid looking like some kind of pretentious-hipster-philosophy student asshole I generally don't bring the book with me out of my house. But back to the book. I've enjoyed it so far (I'm on section five of nine) but the second section, The Free Spirit, confused the fucking hell out of me. I found the third section, What is Religious?, to be of some interest. However, this post is primarily about the unique fourth section, entitled Epigrams and Interludes. This section was both thoroughly entertaining and thought provoking. It consists of a series of numbered paragraphs (63 through 185) no more than three lines in length. These short phrases discuss a variety of topics, so I figured I would just list some of my favorites here.

• 67: Love of one is barbarism: for it is exercised at the expense of all others. The love of God, too.
• 78: Whoever despises himself still respects himself as one who despises.
• 81: It is terrible to die of thirst in the ocean. Do you have to salt your truth so heavily that it does not even quench thirst anymore?
• 94: A man's maturity consists of having found again the seriousness one had as a child, at play.
• 120: Sensuality often hastens the growth of love so much that the roots remain weak and are easily torn up.
• 146: Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And when you look long into the abyss, the abyss also looks into you.
• 156: Madness is rare in individuals but in groups, parties, nations, and ages it is the rule.
  
• 157: The thought of suicide is a powerful comfort: it helps one through many a dreadful night.
• 169: Talking much about oneself can also be a means to conceal oneself.
• 175: In the end one loves one's desire and not what is desired.
  

Perhaps I missed some important ones. But after two read thoughts the lines about definitely stuck out most to me. I was somewhat disappointed (but not really surprised) about Nietzsche's position on women (for example, in number 145, he writes 'Comparing man and woman on the whole, one may say: woman could not have the genius for finery if she did not have an instinct for a secondary role). I find it particularly amusing in light of the first section of this very book, entitled, On the Prejudices of Philosophers, where he rails other philosophers for defending the so-called truth, which he states is only their version of the truth, formed by their prejudices. Again, just something I found amusing. I don't think it discredits his work, just demonstrates that he was not always above his own criticisms.