V. Joys and Passions

My brother, when thou hast a virtue, and it is thine own virtue, thou hast it in common with no one. To be sure, thou wouldst call it by name and caress it; thou wouldst pull its ears and amuse thyself with it. And lo!…

Zarathustra tells his brother to leave his virtue unnamed and to stammer of it as 'my good', loved as an earthly thing and not as a law of God or men.

Once hadst thou passions and calledst them evil. But now hast thou only thy virtues: they grew out of thy passions. Thou implantedst thy highest aim into the heart of those passions: then became they thy virtues and…

Once the passions were called evil; now they have grown into virtues. Wild dogs have become songbirds, poison has become balsam, and the only evil left comes from the conflict of the virtues.

My brother, if thou be fortunate, then wilt thou have one virtue and no more: thus goest thou easier over the bridge. Illustrious is it to have many virtues, but a hard lot; and many a one hath gone into the wilderness…

One virtue is easier to carry than many. Many virtues fight for supremacy, and jealousy can turn the man, like a scorpion, against himself.

Man is something that hath to be surpassed: and therefore shalt thou love thy virtues,—for thou wilt succumb by them.—

The chapter closes by linking the love of one's virtues to man's being surpassed, since the virtues will bring about his downfall.