Help understanding a friedrich nietzsche quote?
Hello everyone,
"if you gaze long enough into the abyss, the abyss also gazes into you"
I'm not quite understanding this...I understand the whole "He who fights with monsters might take care lest he thereby become a monster" but the second part makes no sense. What's the meaning of this abyss?
Thank you
More Questions From This User See All
Answers & Comments
Verified answer
The abyss can mean a number of things. Basically, the quote means that if you focus on the darkness in the world for too long, the darkness will get into you.
The full quote may help in its understanding. It will also elaborate on the answer that Alex gave you. The full quote is:
"Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster, for if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you."