“Man can acquire accomplishments or he can become an animal, whichever he wants. God makes the animals, man makes himself.”

F 49
Aphorisms (1765-1799), Notebook F (1776-1779)

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Georg Christoph Lichtenberg 137
German scientist, satirist 1742–1799

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Context: Man can certainly keep on lying (and he does so); but he cannot make truth falsehood. He can certainly rebel (he does so); but he can accomplish nothing which abolishes the choice of God. He can certainly flee from God (he does so); but he cannot escape Him. He can certainly hate God and be hateful to God (he does and is so); but he cannot change into its opposite the eternal love of God which triumphs even in His hate. He can certainly give himself to isolation (he does so — he thinks, wills and behaves godlessly, and is godless); but even in his isolation he must demonstrate that which he wishes to controvert — the impossibility of playing the "individual" over against God. He may let go of God, but God does not let go of him.

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