Vol. 06 · Misquoted ·Book ·110 of 348
"He who fights monsters should see to it that he himself does not become a monster."
They never said that.
What people say
"He who fights monsters should see to it that he himself does not become a monster."
What was actually said
"He who fights with monsters should look to it that he himself does not become a monster. And if you gaze long into an abyss, the abyss also gazes into you." Friedrich Nietzsche — Beyond Good and Evil §146 (1886) by Friedrich Nietzsche
Why it stuck
Nietzsche pairs the line with one about the abyss. Quoters take the monster half and leave the abyss.
Know another line by heart?
Play the duel and see how many you can spot. Or browse the whole shelf.