But now isn’t simply now. Now is also a cold reminder: one whole day later than yesterday, one year later than last year. Every now is labeled with its date, rendering all past nows obsolete, until — later of sooner — perhaps — no, not perhaps — quite certainly: it will come.
“You sober people who feel well armed against passion and fantasies would like to turn your emptiness into a matter of pride and ornament! You call yourselves realists and hint that the world really is the way it appears to you, but in your unveiled state, are not even you still very passionate and similar to the artist in love? Your sobriety still contains a secret and inextinguishable drunkenness. That mountain there! That could there! What is ‘real’ in that? If you can forget your descent, your past, your training, all your humanity and animality, you will find there is no ‘reality’ for us.”
—The Gay Science, §57 (edited).
—The Gay Science, §57 (edited).