--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Not only the wisdom of centuries—also…" description: "\"“Not only the wisdom of centuries—also their madness breaketh out in us. Dangerous is it to be an heir.”\" — Nietzsche" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5e/nietzsche-18737_wisdom_not-only-the-wisdom-of-centuries-also-th_1874784.jpg" --- # Not only the wisdom of centuries—also their madness… ![“Not only the wisdom of centuries—also their madness breaketh out in us. Dangerous is it to be an heir.” quote by Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5e/nietzsche-18737_wisdom_not-only-the-wisdom-of-centuries-also-th_1874784.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5e/nietzsche-18737_wisdom_not-only-the-wisdom-of-centuries-also-th_1874784.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c5e/nietzsche-18737_wisdom_not-only-the-wisdom-of-centuries-also-th_1874784.jpg) > ““Not only the wisdom of centuries—also their madness breaketh out in us. Dangerous is it to be an heir.”” [Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nietzsche/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Inherited wisdom and madness coexist, making lineage both a gift and a danger to personal identity. **In simple terms:** Ancestral traits bring both insight and risk. Key Takeaway Beware the burden of inherited madness. Themes heritage wisdom madness identity Mood reflective cautious Type philosophical critical When to use this quote - family dynamics - cultural tradition - personal growth - mental health Key Concepts existentialism philosophy Questions to Reflect On - Can you separate self from lineage? - How does ancestral madness affect choices? A Different Perspective Inherited traits can limit individual freedom. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Breaketh Dangerous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/breaketh-dangerous-2609748/) [Centuries Madness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/centuries-madness-2609746/) [Dangerous Heir](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/dangerous-heir-2609745/) [Madness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/madness/) [Wisdom](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom/) [Wisdom Centuries](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/wisdom-centuries-2609747/) ## Related quotes > [Sometimes I long for a convent cell, with the sublime wisdom of centuries set out on bookshelves all along the wall and a view…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/etty-hillesum/sometimes-i-long-for-a-convent-cell-with-the-sublime-wisdom-of/) [Etty Hillesum](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/etty-hillesum/) > [Speakers have been showering us with pearls of wisdom for centuries, and if all of their valuable advice were laid end to end, it…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/benjamin-franklin-fairless/speakers-have-been-showering-us-with-pearls-of-wisdom-for-centuries/) [Benjamin Franklin Fairless](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/benjamin-franklin-fairless/) > [There is no short-cut no patent tram-road, to wisdom. After all the centuries of invention, the soul's path lies through the thorny wilderness which…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-eliot/there-is-no-short-cut-no-patent-tram-road-to-wisdom-after-all-the/) [George Eliot](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-eliot/) > [I wish you a wrestling match with your Creative Muse that will last a lifetime. ... I wish craziness and foolishness and madness upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/i-wish-you-a-wrestling-match-with-your-creative-muse-that-will-last-a/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [Let your love drive you mad, mad about life, mad about the smell of Jasmine. Mad about the painting that reminds you of one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-minagar/let-your-love-drive-you-mad-mad-about-life-mad-about-the-smell-of/) [Melody Minagar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-minagar/) > [Why is it, my shadow-striding friend, that we don't fear dreams? We lose consciousness, lose control, things happen with no apparent logic and abiding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-weeks/why-is-it-my-shadow-striding-friend-that-we-don-t-fear-dreams-we-lose/) [Brent Weeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-weeks/) > [“One person's strange is another person's normal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dani-harper/one-person-s-strange-is-another-person-s-normal/) [Dani Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dani-harper/) > [“I swam across the torrent of my madness, and pulled myself upon the shore of a new and better sanity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/i-swam-across-the-torrent-of-my-madness-and-pulled-myself-upon-the/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [“No man is normal without a tinge of madness in him! Madness in a person is a sign of intelligence, whoever they are. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fahad-basheer/no-man-is-normal-without-a-tinge-of-madness-in-him-madness-in-a/) [Fahad Basheer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fahad-basheer/) > [Impulse arrested spills over, and the flood is feeling, the flood is passion, the flood is even madness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/aldous-huxley/impulse-arrested-spills-over-and-the-flood-is-feeling-the-flood-is/) [Aldous Huxley](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/aldous-huxley/) > [Not everyone is capable of madness; and of those lucky enough to be capable, not many have the courage for it.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/august-strindberg/not-everyone-is-capable-of-madness-and-of-those-lucky-enough-to-be/) [August Strindberg](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/august-strindberg/) > [“Love is a smoke made with the fume of sighs; Being purg'd, a fire sparkling in lovers' eyes; Being vex'd, a sea nourish'd with…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-shakespeare/love-is-a-smoke-made-with-the-fume-of-sighs-being-purg-d-a-fire/) [William Shakespeare](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-shakespeare/) > [“the characteristics the modern mind prides itself on are precisely those of madness.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ernest-becker/the-characteristics-the-modern-mind-prides-itself-on-are-precisely/) [Ernest Becker](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ernest-becker/) > [“Madness,” he exclaimed to himself, in astonishment, faltering. “Madness! What do they want? Once again, once again!” War once again, war that had so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/stefan-zweig/madness-he-exclaimed-to-himself-in-astonishment-faltering-madness/) [Stefan Zweig](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/stefan-zweig/) > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) ## More by Nietzsche > [“The intense clarity of the image failed to satisfy us, for it seemed to hide as much as it revealed; and while it seemed…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nietzsche/the-intense-clarity-of-the-image-failed-to-satisfy-us-for-it-seemed/) [nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nietzsche/) > [“Il n’y a pas d’art pessimiste… L’art affirme.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nietzsche/il-n-y-a-pas-d-art-pessimiste-l-art-affirme/) [Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nietzsche/) > [“Behold, I teach you the Overman! He is that lightning, he is that madness!”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nietzsche/behold-i-teach-you-the-overman-he-is-that-lightning-he-is-that-madness/) [Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nietzsche/) > [“The thought of suicide is a great consolation: by means of it one gets through many a dark night.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nietzsche/the-thought-of-suicide-is-a-great-consolation-by-means-of-it-one-gets/) [Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nietzsche/) > [“That for which we find words is something already dead in our hearts. 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You milked your cow, melancholy; now you drink the sweet milk of her udder.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nietzsche/out-of-your-poisons-you-brewed-your-balsam-you-milked-your-cow/) [Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nietzsche/) > [That which does not kill you makes you stronger.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nietzsche/that-which-does-not-kill-you-makes-you-stronger/) [Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nietzsche/) > [“Nothing succeeds if prankishness has no part in it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nietzsche/nothing-succeeds-if-prankishness-has-no-part-in-it/) [Nietzsche](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nietzsche/) [Explore all 25 Nietzsche quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nietzsche/) ## More Madness quotes > [We instantly believe everything we think. Isn't that insane? It's good for us to explore the depravity of our minds, so we know we…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/krishna-das/we-instantly-believe-everything-we-think-isn-t-that-insane-it-s-good/) [Krishna Das](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/krishna-das/) > [“Madness,” he exclaimed to himself, in astonishment, faltering. “Madness! What do they want? 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Madness in a person is a sign of intelligence, whoever they are. A…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/fahad-basheer/no-man-is-normal-without-a-tinge-of-madness-in-him-madness-in-a/) [Fahad Basheer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/fahad-basheer/) > [“I swam across the torrent of my madness, and pulled myself upon the shore of a new and better sanity.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/frances-hardinge/i-swam-across-the-torrent-of-my-madness-and-pulled-myself-upon-the/) [Frances Hardinge](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/frances-hardinge/) > [“One person's strange is another person's normal.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dani-harper/one-person-s-strange-is-another-person-s-normal/) [Dani Harper](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dani-harper/) > [Why is it, my shadow-striding friend, that we don't fear dreams? We lose consciousness, lose control, things happen with no apparent logic and abiding…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brent-weeks/why-is-it-my-shadow-striding-friend-that-we-don-t-fear-dreams-we-lose/) [Brent Weeks](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brent-weeks/) > [Let your love drive you mad, mad about life, mad about the smell of Jasmine. Mad about the painting that reminds you of one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/melody-minagar/let-your-love-drive-you-mad-mad-about-life-mad-about-the-smell-of/) [Melody Minagar](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/melody-minagar/) > [I wish you a wrestling match with your Creative Muse that will last a lifetime. ... I wish craziness and foolishness and madness upon…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ray-bradbury/i-wish-you-a-wrestling-match-with-your-creative-muse-that-will-last-a/) [Ray Bradbury](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ray-bradbury/) > [“Passion often makes a madman of the cleverest man, and renders the greatest fools clever.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/passion-often-makes-a-madman-of-the-cleverest-man-and-renders-the/) [François de La Rochefoucauld](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/francois-de-la-rochefoucauld/) > [But what struck me was the book-madness of the place--books lay scattered across the unmade bed and the top of a battered-looking desk, books…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/steven-millhauser/but-what-struck-me-was-the-book-madness-of-the-place-books-lay/) [Steven Millhauser](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/steven-millhauser/) > [Ruin, eldest daughter of Zeus, she blinds us all, that fatal madness—she with those delicate feet of hers, never touching the earth, gliding over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/homer/ruin-eldest-daughter-of-zeus-she-blinds-us-all-that-fatal-madness-she/) [Homer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/homer/) [Browse all 3,501 Madness quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/madness/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Not only the wisdom of centuries—also their madness breaketh out in us. 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