Page 170 - beyond-good-and-evil

UNTEACHABLE in us, quite ‘down below.’—In view of this
liberal compliment which I have just paid myself, permis-
sion will perhaps be more readily allowed me to utter some
truths about ‘woman as she is,’ provided that it is known at
the outset how literally they are merely—MY truths.

232. Woman wishes to be independent, and therefore she
begins to enlighten men about ‘woman as she is’—THIS
is one of the worst developments of the general UGLIFY-
ING of Europe. For what must these clumsy attempts of
feminine scientificality and self- exposure bring to light!
Woman has so much cause for shame; in woman there is
so much pedantry, superficiality, schoolmasterliness, petty
presumption, unbridledness, and indiscretion concealed—
study only woman’s behaviour towards children!—which
has really been best restrained and dominated hitherto
by the FEAR of man. Alas, if ever the ‘eternally tedious in
woman’—she has plenty of it!—is allowed to venture forth!
if she begins radically and on principle to unlearn her wis-
dom and art-of charming, of playing, of frightening away
sorrow, of alleviating and taking easily; if she forgets her
delicate aptitude for agreeable desires! Female voices are
already raised, which, by Saint Aristophanes! make one
afraid:—with medical explicitness it is stated in a threat-
ening manner what woman first and last REQUIRES from
man. Is it not in the very worst taste that woman thus sets
herself up to be scientific? Enlightenment hitherto has for-
tunately been men’s affair, men’s gift-we remained therewith
‘among ourselves”; and in the end, in view of all that women

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