“Are you a slave? Then you cannot be a friend. Are you a tyrant? Then you cannot have friends.”

“Some cannot loosen their own chains and can nonetheless redeem their friends.”

“And if a friend does you wrong, then say: "I forgive you what you have done to me; that you have done it to YOURSELF, however--how could I forgive that!”

“Those you cannot teach to fly, teach to fall faster.”

“A friend should be a master at guessing and keeping still: you must not want to see everything.”

“But thus do I counsel you, my friends: distrust all in whom the impulse to punish is powerful!”

“Have you ever said Yes to a single joy? O my friends, then you have said Yes too to all woe. All things are entangled, ensnared, enamored; if ever you wanted one thing twice, if ever you said, "You please me, happiness! Abide, moment!" then you wanted all back. All anew, all eternally, all entangled, ensnared, enamored--oh then you loved the world. Eternal ones, love it eternally and evermore; and to woe too, you say: go, but return! For all joy wants--eternity.”