Definitions HQ

An Exception (n.) who ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠refuses the universal by sheer intellect is a wanderer of a peculiar sort: he does not go to America or beyond the grave — he simply disappears.

An Exception (n.) that ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠is justified cannot be made by one's own effort: first something must happen — one must have gone along on good terms with life and then suddenly be brought to a standstill.

An Exception (n.) breaking ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠with reality must at least know what it breaks with — so only the man truly in love, truly married, could be the justified exception.

An Exception (n.) must ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠love what he broke with an enthusiasm no one else has: he who would renounce something universal must know it more thoroughly than the man who lives securely in it.

An Exception (n.) must ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠feel himself not higher than the universal but more lowly; he cannot open the sealed despatch with God's orders, which may be opened only out at sea.

An Exception (n.) who ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠is truly elect cannot know it, even as he sinks down — if he has the least presentiment of it, he is not justified.

The Exception (n.) is ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠happy in a way essentially different from others, and so in conflict with the universal — it may in truth be a misfortune to be fortunate like that.

An Exception (n.) who ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠rejoices in being one is like a nightingale proud of the red feather in its wing that no other nightingale has.

An Exception (n.) is, ⁠​‌​​​‌​​​‌​‌‌​​​​‌​‌​​‌‌​‌​​‌​​​​​‌‌​​‌​​​‌‌​‌‌​⁠in a certain sense, what every man is — and every man is at the same time the universal-human.