Was ist der Affe für den Menschen? Ein Gelächter oder eine schmerzliche… — Friedrich Nietzsche | Printable Wall Art

“Was ist der Affe für den Menschen? Ein Gelächter oder eine schmerzliche Scham.”
“What is the ape to man? A laughing-stock or a painful embarrassment.”

Words by Friedrich Nietzsche (1844-1900) — German philosopher.

About this quote

Nietzsche uses the evolutionary relationship between apes and humans to challenge human vanity. Just as modern humans view apes as primitive or absurd, Nietzsche suggests that a future, fully realised human will look back at current human nature with similar amusement or discomfort. The line reminds us to remain humble about our present intellectual and moral achievements.

This quote appears in the prologue of Nietzsche's 1883 philosophical work, Thus Spoke Zarathustra. In this text, the character Zarathustra introduces the concept of the Overman, urging humanity to overcome its current limitations.

People often hang this print in a study or library to prompt quiet self-reflection and philosophical humour.

What you get

An instant digital download. Choose your design and size at checkout — 19 typographic designs and 8 print sizes are available for this quote.

• Print-ready PDF with fully embedded vector type — sharp at any scale
• Exact trim size, no cropping required
• Print at home, at a local print shop, or upload to an online printer
• Instant download — no physical item is shipped

Sizes available

5" x 7" · 8" x 10" · 11" x 14" · 12" x 16" · 16" x 20" · 18" x 24" · 24" x 36" · A4 (21 x 29.7 cm)

Designs available

Atelier Serif · Quiet Garamond · Studio Left · Gallery Rule · Midnight Serif · Editorial Left Serif · Modern Sans Calm · Letterpress Caps · Poster Condensed · Script Whisper · Manuscript Italic · Asymmetric Left · Minimal Unsigned · Charcoal Sans · Gallery Frame · Soft Serif Right · Statement Serif · Night Script · Tracked Caps Unsigned

Digital product. Colours may vary slightly between screens and printers. Frames and props are not included.