Yet is the key word.

Nietzsche is a much abused and misused fellow. His aphoristic writing style makes it easy to quote him out of context. “What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger” is a prime example. People who don’t even know its author know this sentence.

Problem is, Nietzsche can only be understood in context. Unless you have taken the time to real all of his work, in order, odds are you won’t get him. Having some German helps a lot too. Few people make that effort, so misunderstandings of his work and life are common.

This poem was just an attempt that when you snatch something out of context, you can use it as a template to say nearly anything, rendering the author’s meaning meaningless.

Sadly, the world abounds in superficial, facile readers. Even sadder, this is increasingly so.