“Not necessity, not desire – no, the love of power is the demon of men. Let them have everything – health, food, a place to live, entertainment – they are and remain unhappy and low-spirited: for the demon waits and waits and will be satisfied.”
- October 15, 1844 – August 25, 1900
- Born in Germany
- Philosopher, poet, and classical philologist
- With works such as “Thus Spoke Zarathustra,” “Beyond Good and Evil,” and “The Genealogy of Morals,” he questioned traditional morality, religion, and truth, and had a major impact on modern philosophy.
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Quote
“Not necessity, not desire – no, the love of power is the demon of men. Let them have everything – health, food, a place to live, entertainment – they are and remain unhappy and low-spirited: for the demon waits and waits and will be satisfied.”
Explanation
In this quote, Friedrich Nietzsche argues that the true driving force behind human unhappiness and discontent is not basic needs or desires, but the love of power. Nietzsche suggests that even if people have everything they need—health, food, comfort, and entertainment—they will still feel unfulfilled and low-spirited. This is because the love of power, or the desire to dominate, control, and assert one’s will, is an intrinsic part of the human condition. Nietzsche views this demon of power as a relentless force that drives people to seek more than just material satisfaction. While physical needs may be met, the desire for power—to influence, control, or transcend others—remains a deeper, more insatiable longing. This demon will not be satisfied with material comforts alone; it feeds on ambition, dominance, and the will to impose oneself on the world and others.
Historically, Nietzsche often critiqued human attachment to comfort and safety because he believed it led to complacency and weakness. For Nietzsche, power—in the form of the will to power—was the driving force behind human greatness and self-overcoming. However, this love of power can also be a destructive force when people seek it through external domination or possessing others, rather than through internal strength and creative self-expression. Nietzsche’s view is that the pursuit of power can lead to unhappiness because it is never fully satisfied, and it often disconnects people from their deeper humanity.
In modern contexts, this quote serves as a warning against the dangers of materialism and the pursuit of external success as ends in themselves. It challenges us to consider whether our desires for achievement, status, or influence are truly fulfilling, or whether they are merely a reflection of the deeper, more insidious love of power. Nietzsche suggests that the demon of power will never be satisfied by external comforts or accolades. Instead, true happiness comes from self-mastery, authenticity, and a sense of inner strength that is not dependent on controlling or dominating others, but on self-overcoming and creative self-expression.
