--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Whatever they may think and say about…" description: "\"“Whatever they may think and say about their \"egoism\", the great majority nonetheless do nothing for their ego their whole life long: what they do is d..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1aa/friedrich-nietzsche-15_ego_whatever-they-may-think-and-say-about-th_34909.jpg" --- # Whatever they may think and say about their "egoism", the… ![“Whatever they may think and say about their "egoism", the great majority nonetheless do nothing for their ego their whole life long: what they do is done for the phantom of their ego which has formed itself in the heads of those around them and has been communicated to them.” quote by Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1aa/friedrich-nietzsche-15_ego_whatever-they-may-think-and-say-about-th_34909.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1aa/friedrich-nietzsche-15_ego_whatever-they-may-think-and-say-about-th_34909.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1aa/friedrich-nietzsche-15_ego_whatever-they-may-think-and-say-about-th_34909.jpg) > ““Whatever they may think and say about their "egoism", the great majority nonetheless do nothing for their ego their whole life long: what they do is done for the phantom of their ego which has formed itself in the heads of those around them and has been communicated to them.”” [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. People act not for their own self-interest but for an imagined self-image shaped by others' expectations. **In simple terms:** Ego is socially constructed Key Takeaway Self-perception is external Themes ego social influence identity perception self-deception Mood reflective critical introspective Type philosophical observational When to use this quote - personal decision making - leadership - marketing - relationships - self-improvement Key Concepts ego social perception identity formation Practical Applications - psychology counseling - leadership training Questions to Reflect On - How does external validation shape your actions? - Can you distinguish your true desires from socially imposed ones? ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Ego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ego/) [Ego Formed](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ego-formed-438067/) [Egoism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/egoism/) [Egoism Great](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/egoism-great-438066/) [Life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life/) [Life long](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-long/) [Morality](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/morality/) [Persona](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/persona/) [Phantom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phantom/) [Phantom Ego](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/phantom-ego-438064/) [Pseudo](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pseudo/) [Say Egoism](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/say-egoism-438065/) [Whole life](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/whole-life/) ## Related quotes > [ “You cannot indeed say anything to anyone in this world. Whatever we ‘say’, it is ‘egoism’. The whole world is in order \[in control\].” ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dada-bhagwan/you-cannot-indeed-say-anything-to-anyone-in-this-world-whatever-we/) [Dada Bhagwan](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dada-bhagwan/) > [“To love those who despise us, and to give one's hand to the phantom who tries to frighten us?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/to-love-those-who-despise-us-and-to-give-one-s-hand-to-the-phantom/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [If it is true to say of the lazy that they kill time, then it is greatly to be feared that an era which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/if-it-is-true-to-say-of-the-lazy-that-they-kill-time-then-it-is/) [Friedrich Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/friedrich-nietzsche/) > [“Phantom Your heart must be a ghost. I can feel it mounting; a dark wave - upon the night of my soul”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/segovia-amil/phantom-your-heart-must-be-a-ghost-i-can-feel-it-mounting-a-dark-wave/) [Segovia Amil](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/segovia-amil/) > [Nothing will ever be as big as 'The Phantom of the Opera' for me.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/andrew-lloyd-webber/nothing-will-ever-be-as-big-as-the-phantom-of-the-opera-for-me/) [Andrew Lloyd Webber](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/andrew-lloyd-webber/) > [Sing once again with me, our strange duet. My power over you grows stronger yet. And though you turn from me to glance behind,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/the-phantom-of-the-opera/sing-once-again-with-me-our-strange-duet-my-power-over-you-grows/) [The Phantom Of The Opera](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/the-phantom-of-the-opera/) > [Material existence is entirely founded on a phantom realm of mind, whose nature and geography are unexplored.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/alan-moore/material-existence-is-entirely-founded-on-a-phantom-realm-of-mind/) [Alan Moore](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/alan-moore/) > [Nothing is greater than to break the chains from the bodies of men, nothing nobler than to destroy the phantom of the soul.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/robert-green-ingersoll/nothing-is-greater-than-to-break-the-chains-from-the-bodies-of-men/) [Robert Green Ingersoll](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/robert-green-ingersoll/) > [“I am a chimney which has been smoked. Out of breath and out of warmth. My air carries murky whispers and inky phantoms. Loneliness…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/iqra-iqbal/i-am-a-chimney-which-has-been-smoked-out-of-breath-and-out-of-warmth/) [Iqra Iqbal](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/iqra-iqbal/) > [“Have they known scorn like you Five cellars down?”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-a-bucchianeri/have-they-known-scorn-like-you-five-cellars-down/) [E.A. Bucchianeri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-a-bucchianeri/) > [Truth is a necessary phantom.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mason-cooley/truth-is-a-necessary-phantom/) [Mason Cooley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mason-cooley/) > [I bought the Phantom just to say its black. I bought the Phantom just to take a nap.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/young-jeezy/i-bought-the-phantom-just-to-say-its-black-i-bought-the-phantom-just/) [Young Jeezy](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/young-jeezy/) > [Apart from films and television I have explored behind-the-camera work, and worked as a script consultant at Phantom films.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/shweta-basu-prasad/apart-from-films-and-television-i-have-explored-behind-the-camera/) [Shweta Basu Prasad](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/shweta-basu-prasad/) > [“If Erik existed and lived life in despair, We wish him to know we are here and we care.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-a-bucchianeri/if-erik-existed-and-lived-life-in-despair-we-wish-him-to-know-we-are/) [E.A. Bucchianeri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-a-bucchianeri/) > [I thought about 'Johnny Quest' and how I loved that cartoon and what a cool name he has. I tried to come up with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/butch-hartman/i-thought-about-johnny-quest-and-how-i-loved-that-cartoon-and-what-a/) [Butch Hartman](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/butch-hartman/) ## 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 Ego quotes > [Most of us are convinced that we are our egos, which is who we think we are. The ego is part of our incarnation.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ram-dass/most-of-us-are-convinced-that-we-are-our-egos-which-is-who-we-think/) [Ram Dass](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ram-dass/) > [For us who are now in power, we need to be challenged to serve the people and ignore our own egos and personal interests…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wangari-maathai/for-us-who-are-now-in-power-we-need-to-be-challenged-to-serve-the/) [Wangari Maathai](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wangari-maathai/) > [I love playing ego and insecurity combined.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-carrey/i-love-playing-ego-and-insecurity-combined/) [Jim Carrey](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-carrey/) > [“sometimes when everything seems at its worst when all conspires and gnaws and the hours, days, weeks years seem wasted – stretched there upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-bukowski/sometimes-when-everything-seems-at-its-worst-when-all-conspires-and/) [Charles Bukowski](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-bukowski/) > [I'm a straight shooter, and most of the time my ego doesn't interrupt my relationships.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/gabriel-macht/i-m-a-straight-shooter-and-most-of-the-time-my-ego-doesn-t-interrupt/) [Gabriel Macht](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/gabriel-macht/) > [Thinking, or more precisely identification with thinking, gives rise to and maintains the ego, which, in our Western society in particular, is out of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/eckhart-tolle/thinking-or-more-precisely-identification-with-thinking-gives-rise-to/) [Eckhart Tolle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eckhart-tolle/) > [Beware of self-indulgence. The romance surrounding the writing profession carries several myths: that one must suffer in order to be creative; that one must…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/david-brin/beware-of-self-indulgence-the-romance-surrounding-the-writing/) [David Brin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/david-brin/) > [“There are two kinds of people: goal-oriented and ego-oriented. Goal-oriented people work together and get things gone. Ego-oriented people don’t work.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charbel-tadros/there-are-two-kinds-of-people-goal-oriented-and-ego-oriented-goal/) [Charbel Tadros](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charbel-tadros/) > [Heart surgeons do not have the world's smallest egos: when you ask them to name the world's three leading practitioners, they never can remember…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sara-paretsky/heart-surgeons-do-not-have-the-world-s-smallest-egos-when-you-ask/) [Sara Paretsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sara-paretsky/) > [I hate acting when I see it. I don't want to feel it, I don't want to see it, I want to be taken…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rutger-hauer/i-hate-acting-when-i-see-it-i-don-t-want-to-feel-it-i-don-t-want-to/) [Rutger Hauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rutger-hauer/) > [It's a constant man-ego-check going on in the streets, in this world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tupac-shakur/it-s-a-constant-man-ego-check-going-on-in-the-streets-in-this-world/) [Tupac Shakur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/tupac-shakur/) > [“... a man doesn't like to have his ego popped, especially when he prides himself on his sagacity, and then to be proved wrong…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/e-a-bucchianeri/a-man-doesn-t-like-to-have-his-ego-popped-especially-when-he-prides/) [E.A. Bucchianeri](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/e-a-bucchianeri/) > [Our real nature is not our imaginary, limited ego. Our true nature is vast, all-comprehensive, and intangible as empty space.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anagarika-govinda/our-real-nature-is-not-our-imaginary-limited-ego-our-true-nature-is/) [Anagarika Govinda](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anagarika-govinda/) > [The man of wisdom is devoid of ego even though he may appear to use it. His vacant or fasting mind is neither doing…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ramesh-s-balsekar/the-man-of-wisdom-is-devoid-of-ego-even-though-he-may-appear-to-use/) [Ramesh S Balsekar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ramesh-s-balsekar/) > [Show me success without ego!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ivana-trump/show-me-success-without-ego/) [Ivana Trump](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ivana-trump/) [Browse all 3,462 Ego quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/ego/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Whatever they may think and say about their \"egoism\", the great majority nonetheless do nothing for their ego their whole life long: what they do is done for the phantom of their ego which has formed itself in the heads of those around them and has been communicated to them.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Friedrich Nietzsche" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/whatever-they-may-think-and-say-about-their-egoism-the-great-majority/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Ego" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/whatever-they-may-think-and-say-about-their-egoism-the-great-majority/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1aa/friedrich-nietzsche-15_ego_whatever-they-may-think-and-say-about-th_34909.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1aa/friedrich-nietzsche-15_ego_whatever-they-may-think-and-say-about-th_34909.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/1aa/friedrich-nietzsche-15_ego_whatever-they-may-think-and-say-about-th_34909.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Whatever they may think and say about their \"egoism\", the great majority nonetheless do nothing for their…” — 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": "“Whatever they may think and say...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/whatever-they-may-think-and-say-about-their-egoism-the-great-majority/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/friedrich-nietzsche/whatever-they-may-think-and-say-about-their-egoism-the-great-majority/#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 } } ] } ```