"Let us beware of saying that death is the opposite of life. The living being is only a species of the dead, and a very rare species"
- Friedrich Nietzsche
About this Quote
This quote suggests that the conventional idea of death being the opposite of life must be reconsidered. According to Nietzsche, the distinction in between living and dead beings is not as well-defined as we may assume. Rather, he argues that life and death exist on a continuum, with living beings representing simply one point along this spectrum. Furthermore, Nietzsche indicates that living is a short-lived and short lived state, making it a "extremely uncommon types." This idea could be analyzed to recommend that death is a basic and unavoidable part of presence, instead of something to be feared or avoided.
"Life is life - whether in a cat, or dog or man. There is no difference there between a cat or a man. The idea of difference is a human conception for man's own advantage"