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Thus Spake ZarathustraIdeasLibrary
First Part · VI. The Pale Criminal

The sick body and changing good and evil

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What is this man? A mass of diseases that reach out into the world through the spirit; there they want to get their prey.

What is this man? A coil of wild serpents that are seldom at peace among themselves—so they go forth apart and seek prey in the world.

Look at that poor body! What it suffered and craved, the poor soul interpreted to itself—it interpreted it as murderous desire, and eagerness for the happiness of the knife.

Him who now turneth sick, the evil overtaketh which is now the evil: he seeketh to cause pain with that which causeth him pain. But there have been other ages, and another evil and good.

Once was doubt evil, and the will to Self. Then the invalid became a heretic or sorcerer; as heretic or sorcerer he suffered, and sought to cause suffering.

The man is described as a mass of diseases and a coil of serpents seeking prey in the world. The sick man tries to cause pain with what pains him. Zarathustra notes that other ages had another good and evil, when the invalid became a heretic or sorcerer.