“If a woman possesses manly virtues one should run away from her; and if she does not possess them she runs away from herself.”
- 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.
Quote
“If a woman possesses manly virtues one should run away from her; and if she does not possess them she runs away from herself.”
Explanation
In this quote, Friedrich Nietzsche explores the concept of gender roles and the tension between societal expectations and individual expression. He suggests that when a woman adopts traditionally masculine virtues—such as strength, rationality, or aggressiveness—it leads her to depart from what Nietzsche believed to be the essence of femininity. For Nietzsche, these virtues belong to the masculine ideal, and when a woman adopts them, she loses touch with what makes her distinct and valuable as a woman. On the other hand, if a woman does not embody what Nietzsche considered to be these masculine virtues, he argues she is running away from self-realization, not fulfilling her potential. Nietzsche is emphasizing the idea that each gender has specific roles and characteristics that should be expressed to the fullest, and failing to do so, in his view, is a form of self-denial.
Historically, Nietzsche was often critical of how traditional gender roles were constructed and maintained. He believed that individuals should be free to express their full range of potential without being confined by societal expectations. However, in this quote, Nietzsche’s critique of women seems to reflect the historical context of his time, when rigid gender roles were firmly entrenched. His words here reflect a conservative view of gender, where he expected women to embrace certain traditional qualities, such as nurturing or grace, while men embodied the virtues of strength and rationality.
In modern contexts, this quote can be seen as part of the ongoing conversation about gender identity and gender roles. Today, we increasingly recognize that individuals—regardless of gender—can embody a wide range of virtues and qualities, and that traditional notions of masculinity and femininity are restrictive and outdated. Nietzsche’s viewpoint may reflect a time when women were expected to conform to specific ideals of femininity, but in the modern world, these expectations are being challenged. His statement encourages a reconsideration of how we view gender identity, inviting us to move beyond rigid categorizations and recognize that both men and women can and should be free to express a diverse set of virtues without fear of contradiction or judgment.
