--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: A few hours of mountain climbing make a…" description: "\"A few hours of mountain climbing make a blackguard and a saint two rather similar creatures.\" — Friedrich Nietzsche" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e22/friedrich-nietzsche-15_climbing_a-few-hours-of-mountain-climbing-make-a_202828.jpg" --- # A few hours of mountain climbing make a blackguard and a… ![“A few hours of mountain climbing make a blackguard and a saint two rather similar creatures.” quote by Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e22/friedrich-nietzsche-15_climbing_a-few-hours-of-mountain-climbing-make-a_202828.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e22/friedrich-nietzsche-15_climbing_a-few-hours-of-mountain-climbing-make-a_202828.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e22/friedrich-nietzsche-15_climbing_a-few-hours-of-mountain-climbing-make-a_202828.jpg) > “A few hours of mountain climbing make a blackguard and a saint two rather similar creatures.” [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Extreme experiences blur moral distinctions, revealing shared humanity between opposites. **In simple terms:** Extreme acts make opposites alike. Key Takeaway Recognize common humanity. Themes morality extremes human nature philosophy equality Mood contemplative provocative Type philosophical literary When to use this quote - conflict resolution - team building - social justice - personal crises Key Concepts existentialism ethics psychology Questions to Reflect On - How do you see similarity in opposing viewpoints? - Can shared humanity bridge deep conflicts? A Different Perspective Extreme actions may not always be comparable; context matters. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Climbing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climbing/) [Mountain climbing](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/mountain-climbing/) [Religion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/religion/) [Saint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/saint/) ## Related quotes > [I have before suggested that a genuine blackguard is never without a pocket-handkerchief.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/i-have-before-suggested-that-a-genuine-blackguard-is-never-without-a/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [Cynicism is that blackguard defect of vision which compels us to see the world as it is, instead of as it should be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/cynicism-is-that-blackguard-defect-of-vision-which-compels-us-to-see/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [Cynic, n: a blackguard whose faulty vision sees things as they are, not as they ought to be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ambrose-bierce/cynic-n-a-blackguard-whose-faulty-vision-sees-things-as-they-are-not/) [Ambrose Bierce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ambrose-bierce/) > [“Eliza. The memory of her gentle features and the song of her laugh formed a grin on his lips. Then another memory took the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/amber-lynn-perry/eliza-the-memory-of-her-gentle-features-and-the-song-of-her-laugh/) [Amber Lynn Perry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/amber-lynn-perry/) > [Believe me, there exists no such dilemma as that in which a gentleman is placed when he is forced to reply to a blackguard.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edgar-allan-poe/believe-me-there-exists-no-such-dilemma-as-that-in-which-a-gentleman/) [Edgar Allan Poe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edgar-allan-poe/) > [Bran was the only person I knew who could use words like "blackguard" and make them sound like swear words-but then he could have…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patricia-briggs/bran-was-the-only-person-i-knew-who-could-use-words-like-blackguard/) [Patricia Briggs](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patricia-briggs/) > [A few hours' mountain climbing make of a rogue and a saint two fairly equal creatures. Tiredness is the shortest path to equality and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/a-few-hours-mountain-climbing-make-of-a-rogue-and-a-saint-two-fairly/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [I climb upon the highest mountains, laughing at all tragedies - whether real or imaginary.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/i-climb-upon-the-highest-mountains-laughing-at-all-tragedies-whether/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“...by bringing myself over the edge and back, I discovered a passion to live my days fully, a conviction that will sustain me like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jonathan-waterman/by-bringing-myself-over-the-edge-and-back-i-discovered-a-passion-to/) Jonathan Waterman > [Doubly happy, however, is the man to whom lofty mountain tops are within reach.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/doubly-happy-however-is-the-man-to-whom-lofty-mountain-tops-are/) [John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/) > [The fact that I'm three months pregnant doesn't change anything.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/catherine-destivelle/the-fact-that-i-m-three-months-pregnant-doesn-t-change-anything/) Catherine Destivelle > [The bizarre trend in mountaineers is not the risk they take, but the large degree to which they value life. They are not crazy…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lisa-morgan/the-bizarre-trend-in-mountaineers-is-not-the-risk-they-take-but-the/) Lisa Morgan > [John Wayne never wore Lycra.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ron-kauk/john-wayne-never-wore-lycra/) [Ron Kauk](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ron-kauk/) > [While cares will drop off like autumn leaves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/while-cares-will-drop-off-like-autumn-leaves/) [John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/) > [The difference between a mountain and a molehill is your perspective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-neuharth/the-difference-between-a-mountain-and-a-molehill-is-your-perspective/) [Al Neuharth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-neuharth/) ## More by Friedrich Nietzsche > [Animals know nothing of themselves, and they also know nothing of the world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/animals-know-nothing-of-themselves-and-they-also-know-nothing-of-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“Every select man strives instinctively for a citadel and a privacy, where he is FREE from the crowd, the many, the majority-- where he…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/every-select-man-strives-instinctively-for-a-citadel-and-a-privacy/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“It breaks my heart. Better than your words, your eye tells me all your peril. You are not yet free, you still search for…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/it-breaks-my-heart-better-than-your-words-your-eye-tells-me-all-your/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“79. A soul which knows that it is loved, but does not itself love, betrays its sediment: its dregs come up.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/79-a-soul-which-knows-that-it-is-loved-but-does-not-itself-love/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [We deceive ourselves when giving respect to the person for whom we have surrendered ourselves, when we respectively expect them to be as we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/we-deceive-ourselves-when-giving-respect-to-the-person-for-whom-we/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“The great periods of our life occur when we gain the courage to rechristen what is bad about us as what is best.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/the-great-periods-of-our-life-occur-when-we-gain-the-courage-to/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“What is life? Life - that is: continually shedding something that wants to die. Life - that is: being cruel and inexorable against everything…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/what-is-life-life-that-is-continually-shedding-something-that-wants/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [It is thus only this personal feeling of misery that we get rid of by acts of pity.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/it-is-thus-only-this-personal-feeling-of-misery-that-we-get-rid-of-by/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“Writers whose thoughts are expressed with clarity and precision are assumed by readers to be superficial. Where the meaning is obscured, then readers give…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/writers-whose-thoughts-are-expressed-with-clarity-and-precision-are/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“he does not wear a twitching, mobile, human face, but rather a mask, as it were, with its features in dignified equilibrium; he does…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/he-does-not-wear-a-twitching-mobile-human-face-but-rather-a-mask-as/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Chastity is a virtue with some, but with many it is almost a vice.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/chastity-is-a-virtue-with-some-but-with-many-it-is-almost-a-vice/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [The earth is like the breasts of a woman: useful as well as pleasing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/the-earth-is-like-the-breasts-of-a-woman-useful-as-well-as-pleasing/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“Of all that is written I love only what a man has written in his own blood.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/of-all-that-is-written-i-love-only-what-a-man-has-written-in-his-own/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [No shepherd and one herd! Everybody wants the same, everybody is the same: whoever feels different goes voluntarily into a madhouse.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/no-shepherd-and-one-herd-everybody-wants-the-same-everybody-is-the/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Pain makes hens and poets cackle.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/pain-makes-hens-and-poets-cackle/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) [Explore all 3,486 Friedrich Nietzsche quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) ## More Climbing quotes > [I'm always climbing.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tommy-caldwell/i-m-always-climbing/) [Tommy Caldwell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tommy-caldwell/) > [There is nothing to do, just be. Do nothing. Be. No climbing mountains and sitting in caves. I do not even say "be yourself"…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/there-is-nothing-to-do-just-be-do-nothing-be-no-climbing-mountains/) [Sri Nisargadatta Maharaj](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sri-nisargadatta-maharaj/) > [I liked climbing trees and could often be found up one reading a book. I played games with Dad and drew maps for him…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rhianna-pratchett/i-liked-climbing-trees-and-could-often-be-found-up-one-reading-a-book/) [Rhianna Pratchett](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rhianna-pratchett/) > [Classic mountaineering grows out of a traditional romantic imagination. Its heart is the feeling, its path is blood, sweat and tears, and its restriction…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wojciech-kurtyka/classic-mountaineering-grows-out-of-a-traditional-romantic/) [Wojciech Kurtyka](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wojciech-kurtyka/) > [Placing my buttocks on a cold toilet seat is my climbing Mount Everest.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/placing-my-buttocks-on-a-cold-toilet-seat-is-my-climbing-mount-everest/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [Splutter, splutter. Yes - we're off - we're rising. But why start off with an engine like that? But it smooths out now, like…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anne-morrow-lindbergh/splutter-splutter-yes-we-re-off-we-re-rising-but-why-start-off-with/) [Anne Morrow Lindbergh](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anne-morrow-lindbergh/) > [The ascent of any route begins, in dreams at least, the autumn before. Our minds ring, involuntarily, with the alluring names of mountains, aiguilles,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gaston-rebuffat/the-ascent-of-any-route-begins-in-dreams-at-least-the-autumn-before/) [Gaston Rebuffat](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gaston-rebuffat/) > [“Climbing mattered. The danger bathed the world in a halogen glow that caused everything—the sweep of the rock, the orange and yellow lichens, the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jon-krakauer/climbing-mattered-the-danger-bathed-the-world-in-a-halogen-glow-that/) [Jon Krakauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jon-krakauer/) > [The difference between a mountain and a molehill is your perspective.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/al-neuharth/the-difference-between-a-mountain-and-a-molehill-is-your-perspective/) [Al Neuharth](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/al-neuharth/) > [While cares will drop off like autumn leaves.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-muir/while-cares-will-drop-off-like-autumn-leaves/) [John Muir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-muir/) > [Climbing has worked for me in a number of ways on Capitol Hill. I'm much more inclined to look at what people do, as…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-udall/climbing-has-worked-for-me-in-a-number-of-ways-on-capitol-hill-i-m/) [Mark Udall](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-udall/) > [I love finding something. For me it's not just about the athletic challenge, it's about finding new things. When I'm not doing that in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-sharma/i-love-finding-something-for-me-it-s-not-just-about-the-athletic/) [Chris Sharma](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-sharma/) > [I'm a man's man. I go out climbing and live outdoors.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rory-mccann/i-m-a-man-s-man-i-go-out-climbing-and-live-outdoors/) [Rory McCann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rory-mccann/) > [The things that inform student culture are created and controlled by the unseen culture, the sociological aspects of our climbing culture, our 'me' generation,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gus-van-sant/the-things-that-inform-student-culture-are-created-and-controlled-by/) [Gus Van Sant](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gus-van-sant/) > [For me, the most relevant factor in my ability to perform well on the rock has to do with my love of climbing. After…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lynn-hill/for-me-the-most-relevant-factor-in-my-ability-to-perform-well-on-the/) [Lynn Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lynn-hill/) [Browse all 1,082 Climbing quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/climbing/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "A few hours of mountain climbing make a blackguard and a saint two rather similar creatures.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Friedrich Nietzsche" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/a-few-hours-of-mountain-climbing-make-a-blackguard-and-a-saint-two/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Climbing" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/a-few-hours-of-mountain-climbing-make-a-blackguard-and-a-saint-two/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e22/friedrich-nietzsche-15_climbing_a-few-hours-of-mountain-climbing-make-a_202828.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e22/friedrich-nietzsche-15_climbing_a-few-hours-of-mountain-climbing-make-a_202828.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e22/friedrich-nietzsche-15_climbing_a-few-hours-of-mountain-climbing-make-a_202828.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“A few hours of mountain climbing make a blackguard and a saint two rather similar creatures.” — Friedrich Nietzsche", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Friedrich Nietzsche", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "A few hours of mountain climbing...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/a-few-hours-of-mountain-climbing-make-a-blackguard-and-a-saint-two/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/a-few-hours-of-mountain-climbing-make-a-blackguard-and-a-saint-two/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```