--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: There is something quite amazing and…" description: "\"“There is something quite amazing and monstrous about the education of upper-class women. What could be more paradoxical? All the world is agreed that ..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e3/friedrich-nietzsche-15_children_there-is-something-quite-amazing-and-mon_1496204.jpg" --- # There is something quite amazing and monstrous about the… ![“There is something quite amazing and monstrous about the education of upper-class women. What could be more paradoxical? All the world is agreed that they are to be brought up as ignorant as possible of erotic matters, and that one has to imbue their souls with a profound sense of shame in such…” quote by Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e3/friedrich-nietzsche-15_children_there-is-something-quite-amazing-and-mon_1496204.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e3/friedrich-nietzsche-15_children_there-is-something-quite-amazing-and-mon_1496204.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/7e3/friedrich-nietzsche-15_children_there-is-something-quite-amazing-and-mon_1496204.jpg) > ““There is something quite amazing and monstrous about the education of upper-class women. What could be more paradoxical? All the world is agreed that they are to be brought up as ignorant as possible of erotic matters, and that one has to imbue their souls with a profound sense of shame in such matters until the merest suggestion of such things triggers the most extreme impatience and flight. The "honor" of women really comes into play only here: what else would one not forgive them? But here they are supposed to remain ignorant even in their hearts: they are supposed to have neither eyes nor ears, nor words, nor thoughts for this -- their "evil;" and mere knowledge is considered evil. And then to be hurled as by a gruesome lightning bolt, into reality and knowledge, by marriage -- precisely by the man they love and esteem most! To catch love and shame in a contradiction and to be forced to experience at the same time delight, surrender, duty, pity, terror, and who knows what else, in the face of the unexpected neighborliness of god and beast! Thus a psychic knot has been tied that may have no equal. Even the compassionate curiosity of the wisest student of humanity is inadequate for guessing how this or that woman manages to accommodate herself to this solution of the riddle, and to the riddle of a solution, and what dreadful, far-reaching suspicions must stir in her poor, unhinged soul -- and how the ultimate philosophy and skepsis of woman casts anchor at this point! Afterward, the same deep silence as before. Often a silence directed at herself, too. She closes her eyes to herself. Young women try hard to appear superficial and thoughtless. The most refined simulate a kind of impertinence. Women easily experience their husbands as a question mark concerning their honor, and their children as an apology or atonement. They need children and wish for them in a way that is altogether different from that in which a man may wish for children. In sum, one cannot be too kind about women.”” [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. The passage critiques how upper‑class women are taught ignorance and shame about sexuality, creating a painful paradox when marriage forces them into confronting desire and knowledge. **In simple terms:** Upper‑class women are taught sexual shame, then forced to confront it in marriage. Key Takeaway Recognize and challenge imposed sexual shame. Themes gender oppression sexuality social conditioning Mood critical reflective Type philosophical analytical When to use this quote - marriage - education - personal awakening Key Concepts shame knowledge paradox Questions to Reflect On - How does societal shame shape personal identity? - What steps can break the cycle of imposed ignorance? A Different Perspective Changing deep‑seated cultural norms is difficult. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Children](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/children/) [Education](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/education/) ## Related quotes > [More and more it seems to me that the philosopher, being of necessity a man of tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, has always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/more-and-more-it-seems-to-me-that-the-philosopher-being-of-necessity/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [Half of the equation is men, and right now, unfortunately, men are running the majority of corporations, so we have to make sure that…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gretchen-carlson/half-of-the-equation-is-men-and-right-now-unfortunately-men-are/) [Gretchen Carlson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gretchen-carlson/) > [It became really important to me if I was going to write 'Hummingbird's Daughter' to try to do honor to women.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/luis-alberto-urrea/it-became-really-important-to-me-if-i-was-going-to-write-hummingbird/) [Luis Alberto Urrea](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/luis-alberto-urrea/) > [Honor women! they entwine and weave heavenly roses in our earthly life.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-schiller/honor-women-they-entwine-and-weave-heavenly-roses-in-our-earthly-life/) [Friedrich Schiller](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-schiller/) > [“Honor women: They wreathe and weave Heavenly roses into earthly life. —Johann von Schiller”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/barbara-taylor-bradford/honor-women-they-wreathe-and-weave-heavenly-roses-into-earthly-life/) [Barbara Taylor Bradford](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/barbara-taylor-bradford/) > [“Swallow your pride and sow honor into other women who are breaking down barriers.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/germany-kent/swallow-your-pride-and-sow-honor-into-other-women-who-are-breaking/) [Germany Kent](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/germany-kent/) > [“The most beautiful women in the world are the ones that can stand as rivals on the battlefield of love, yet they can still…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shannon-l-alder/the-most-beautiful-women-in-the-world-are-the-ones-that-can-stand-as/) [Shannon L. 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All the world is agreed that they are to be brought up as ignorant as possible of erotic matters, and that one has to imbue their souls with a profound sense of shame in such matters until the merest suggestion of such things triggers the most extreme impatience and flight. The \"honor\" of women really comes into play only here: what else would one not forgive them? But here they are supposed to remain ignorant even in their hearts: they are supposed to have neither eyes nor ears, nor words, nor thoughts for this -- their \"evil;\" and mere knowledge is considered evil. And then to be hurled as by a gruesome lightning bolt, into reality and knowledge, by marriage -- precisely by the man they love and esteem most! To catch love and shame in a contradiction and to be forced to experience at the same time delight, surrender, duty, pity, terror, and who knows what else, in the face of the unexpected neighborliness of god and beast! Thus a psychic knot has been tied that may have no equal. Even the compassionate curiosity of the wisest student of humanity is inadequate for guessing how this or that woman manages to accommodate herself to this solution of the riddle, and to the riddle of a solution, and what dreadful, far-reaching suspicions must stir in her poor, unhinged soul -- and how the ultimate philosophy and skepsis of woman casts anchor at this point! Afterward, the same deep silence as before. Often a silence directed at herself, too. She closes her eyes to herself. Young women try hard to appear superficial and thoughtless. The most refined simulate a kind of impertinence. Women easily experience their husbands as a question mark concerning their honor, and their children as an apology or atonement. They need children and wish for them in a way that is altogether different from that in which a man may wish for children. 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