Chapter 56
The New Tables of Values
1.Here do I sit and wait, old broken tables around me and also new half-written tables. When cometh mine hour? —The hour of my descent, of my down-going: for once more will I go unto men. For that hour do I now wait: for first must the signs come unto me that it is MINE hour—namely, the laughing lion with the flock of doves. Meanwhile do I talk to myself as one who hath time. No one telleth me anything new, so I tell myself mine own story. 2. When I came unto men, then found I them resting…
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Now let's explore the literary elements.
Key Quotes & Analysis
"NO ONE YET KNOWETH what is good and bad:—unless it be the creating one!"
Context: He's explaining why he disturbed people's comfortable beliefs about morality
This is Nietzsche's core argument that moral values aren't handed down by God or nature - they're created by humans. Only those brave enough to take responsibility for creating meaning can truly know what's valuable.
In Today's Words:
Nobody at work or in life truly knows what counts as right or wrong until they test values against real experience. Following inherited moral codes from family, school, or religion without examination is just borrowed certainty; the person who figures it out through honest living carries wisdom that nobody else can give them.
"An old wearisome business seemed to them all discourse about virtue; and he who wished to sleep well spake of “good” and “bad” ere retiring to rest."
Context: Describing how people treat morality like a bedtime story that helps them sleep
Nietzsche criticizes how people use moral talk as a comfort blanket rather than a serious guide for living. They prefer simple answers that let them avoid hard thinking.
In Today's Words:
At work and in families, people treat moral rules like tired routines, reciting what is good or bad as a way to stop thinking and feel settled. They want simple categories that let them off the hook from making genuine judgments about the complicated situations they actually face in their jobs and relationships every day.
"—It is he, however, who createth man’s goal, and giveth to the earth its meaning and its future: he only EFFECTETH it THAT aught is good or bad."
Context: Explaining what makes the 'creating one' special
This emphasizes that meaning isn't discovered but created. The most important people are those who dare to set new goals and give direction to human progress.
In Today's Words:
The managers and mentors who truly shape a workplace are not those who follow rules but the people who define what the team is working toward. In families and careers, meaning does not arrive from outside but from whoever has the courage to say what matters and why, giving direction to everyone around them.
"The weary-o’-the-world put it up, and the preachers of death and the jailer: for lo, it is also a sermon for slavery:— Because they learned badly and not the best, and everything too early and everything too fast; because they ATE badly: from thence hath resulted their ruined stomach;— —For a ruined stomach, is their spirit: IT persuadeth to death!"
Context: Pivotal line from the closing movement of the chapter
This line captures a turn in the argument that the opening half does not yet name.
In Today's Words:
The idea is not abstract decoration: it names a choice you can recognize in your own work, relationships, or conscience when old rules stop fitting and you must decide what you will affirm next without borrowing someone else's verdict. Name the pattern before you react.
Thematic Threads
Identity
In This Chapter
Zarathustra defines himself as a value-creator rather than a follower, establishing identity through self-overcoming
Development
Evolved from earlier themes of becoming—now shows the active work of identity creation
In Your Life:
You might recognize this when you realize you're living according to others' definitions of success rather than your own.
Class
In This Chapter
Advocates for a 'new nobility' based on courage and self-creation rather than inherited status or wealth
Development
Builds on earlier class critiques by proposing an alternative hierarchy based on spiritual courage
In Your Life:
You see this when you realize that real worth comes from personal growth and courage, not job titles or bank accounts.
Social Expectations
In This Chapter
Directly challenges conventional morality and the expectation to accept inherited wisdom without question
Development
Culmination of ongoing critique of social conformity—now calls for active rebellion against expectations
In Your Life:
This appears when you feel pressure to follow life scripts that don't match your actual values or circumstances.
Personal Growth
In This Chapter
Presents self-overcoming and value creation as the highest form of human development
Development
Synthesizes earlier growth themes into a comprehensive philosophy of self-creation
In Your Life:
You experience this when you realize that real growth means questioning everything you've been taught and building your own wisdom.
Human Relationships
In This Chapter
Warns against 'parasitic' relationships where people feed off others' achievements or thinking rather than developing their own
Development
Extends earlier relationship themes to examine the quality and authenticity of human connections
In Your Life:
You see this in relationships where you're always giving energy but never receiving genuine growth or support in return.
You now have the context. Time to form your own thoughts.
Discussion Questions
This is not a test. Five prompts guide you through the chapter, from how it opens to how it closes, so you notice context and rhythm rather than facts to memorize. Sit with each question in your own words. When you see "One way to read it," treat it as a starting point, not the only answer.
- 1
What does Zarathustra mean when he talks about breaking old tablets and writing new ones?
analysis • surfaceOne way to read it
Breaking old tablets means rejecting inherited moral rules that no longer serve real life; writing new ones means creating your own values through honest experience rather than accepting what others declare right or wrong.
- 2
Why does Zarathustra argue that 'good' people can actually be dangerous to human growth?
analysis • mediumOne way to read it
Good people are dangerous because their unquestioning compliance preserves broken systems; by accepting inherited values without examination, they block the creation of better ones and resist anyone bold enough to propose change.
- 3
How might someone at work apply Zarathustra's 'new table' thinking when a company policy seems to harm rather than help?
application • mediumOne way to read it
They could test the policy against its actual impact, note what it costs versus what it achieves, and propose a better approach rather than complying simply because the rule has always existed.
- 4
How would you decide which inherited beliefs to keep and which to discard in your own life?
application • deepOne way to read it
Keep beliefs you have personally tested and found to strengthen your life and relationships; discard those followed out of habit or social pressure that have not proven useful for your actual circumstances.
- 5
What does this chapter reveal about the relationship between comfort and personal growth?
reflection • deepOne way to read it
Comfort and growth are in tension: accepting inherited beliefs without question feels safe but creates stagnation, while questioning them causes discomfort but opens the possibility of becoming more authentic.
Critical Thinking Exercise
Audit Your Inherited Rules
Make two columns on paper. In the left column, list 5-7 rules or beliefs you follow that you learned from family, work, or society (like 'always be nice,' 'work comes first,' or 'don't rock the boat'). In the right column, write whether each rule actually serves your life well, or if it sometimes holds you back. Circle the ones that might need updating.
Consider:
- •Some inherited wisdom is genuinely helpful and worth keeping
- •Question the rule, not necessarily the person who taught it to you
- •Small changes in personal rules can create big shifts in life satisfaction
Journaling Prompt
Write about one inherited rule that you've outgrown. How did you realize it wasn't serving you anymore? What would your own version of that rule look like?
Coming Up Next...
Chapter 57: The Hardest Truth to Swallow
As Zarathustra prepares for his final teaching mission, he must confront the ultimate test of his philosophy. The time approaches for him to face humanity one last time with his revolutionary message.
