Read "Schopenhauer as Educator" by Friedrich Nietzsche online for free on Textopian. Full text with search, annotations, highlights, and AI-powered reading aids.
These are a few of the conditions under which the philosophical genius can at least come to light in our time, in spite of all thwarting influences; -- a virility of character, an early knowledge of mankind, an absence of learned education and narrow patriotism, of compulsion to earn his livelihood or depend on the state, -- freedom in fact, and again freedom; the same marvellous and dangerous element in which the Greek philosophers grew up. The man who will reproach him, as Niebuhr did Plato, with being a bad citizen, may do so, and be himself a good one; so he and Plato will be right together! Another may call this great freedom presumption; he is also right, as he could not himself use the freedom properly if he desired it, and would certainly presume too far with it. This freedom is really a grave burden of guilt; and can only be expiated by great actions.
Every ordinary son of earth has the right of looking askance on such endowments; and may Providence keep him from being so endowed -- burdened, that is, with such terrible duties! His freedom and his loneliness would be his ruin, and ennui would turn him into a fool, and a mischievous fool at that.