"After coming into contact with a religious man I always feel I must wash my hands"
- Friedrich Nietzsche
About this Quote
This quote by Friedrich Nietzsche speaks with the power of religion and its influence on individuals. It recommends that after coming into contact with a religious male, Nietzsche felt the need to cleanse himself, as if the spiritual man had actually left some sort of spiritual residue on him. This might be interpreted as a sign of regard for the religious male, as if Nietzsche was attempting to rid himself of any unfavorable energy that might have been transferred. It could likewise be seen as a sign of Nietzsche's own discomfort with religious beliefs, as if he was attempting to rid himself of any religious influence that may have been imposed on him. Eventually, this quote talks to the power of religious beliefs and its ability to shape and influence individuals's lives.
"I believe that nothing enjoys a higher estate in our society than the right given by the First and Fourteenth Amendments freely to practice and proclaim one's religious convictions"
"A vow is a purely religious act which cannot be taken in a fit of passion. It can be taken only with a mind purified and composed and with God as witness"
"I have treated many hundreds of patients. Among those in the second half of life - that is to say, over 35 - there has not been one whose problem in the last resort was not that of finding a religious outlook on life"
"There must be something solemn, serious, and tender about any attitude which we denominate religious. If glad, it must not grin or snicker; if sad, it must not scream or curse"