14 lessons on life, death and glory from 292 War Poems — Society Doesn’t Value What it Needs. Society doesn’t want men who can commit acts of violence, psychopaths or otherwise dangerous individuals. They are ostracised and pushed to the fringes of society. But when push comes to shove and a threat materialises, who is called upon? The plight of veterans the world over is a stark reminder…

8 life lessons from Mary Shelley’s classic novel Frankenstein — Be Wary of Ambition At the start of the novel Shelley suggests that no matter the ambition, provided it comes from a man of genius, it will be for the betterment of mankind. But who gets to decide who is a man of genius? Is it something that we tell ourselves so that we…

“My dear Prince, I may indeed be acting badly by taking you into my confidence. But it’s precisely because you’re the first decent person to come my way that I’ve pounced on you.” — Good Deeds Are Not Transactional The prince doesn’t want anything from anyone, he has no ulterior motives and this is strange for people. The characters in The Idiot are used to a transactional society where good deeds are only done as the doer believes that they will get something in return. Every act is done…

“It’s very ill-mannered to examine and judge a man’s soul in the way that you judge Ippolit. You have no tenderness: only truth, and so you’re not fair.” — Don’t Be Less Judgmental The prince is a combination of honesty and of shame. He is honest, as he cannot help but say what he thinks to people and is transparent in his communications, even to his detriment. He exposes his mind, makes himself vulnerable and then cowers in fear of how people will…

A tale of heroic innocence in Dostoevsky’s Idiot — “You really are a holy fool, and such men as you God loveth!” — Is it true, Prince, that you once said the world will be saved by beauty? Gentlemen,’ he cried loudly to them all, ‘the prince says that the world will be saved by beauty! Beauty is something that catches the eye, that holds our attention and perhaps more importantly, makes us…

Spend some ten years in these various exercises: then the creations of your study may be allowed to see the light of day. — Whether you agree with Nietzsche’s philosophies or not, it is undeniable that he was an effective writer. The force and clarity of his writing is unmatched, so who better to learn writing from than the great Friedrich Nietzsche. The recipe for becoming a good novelist is easily given, but the…

6 life lessons from Nietzsche’s Human, All Too Human — One may promise actions, but not sentiments, for these are involuntary. The distinction between sentiments and actions is the same as between discipline and motivation. Motivation is out of your control whereas discipline is the habits that you maintain and the willingness to do something even if you don’t feel…

6 lessons on learning from Nietzsche’s Human, All Too Human — The visionary denies the truth to himself, the liar only to others. The visionary cannot know the truth, otherwise what would they be searching for? The visionary is a true individual who engages in original thought. They are on a quest for the truth, one that they can bring back…

Lessons in how to become a knowledge seeker from Nietzsche’s Human, All Too Human. — To him who works and seeks in her, Science gives much pleasure — to him who learns her facts, very little. Science, unfortunately, has been denigrated by comments such as “follow the science,” as it obliterates the scientific method. Pursuing the scientific method can lead to a deeper understanding of…