Whoever does not have a good father should procure one.

The words of Friedrich Nietzsche—“Whoever does not have a good father should procure one”—speak not merely of family, but of guidance, of wisdom, and of the sacred need within every human soul for a moral compass. Beneath their simplicity lies a truth that reaches far beyond bloodlines: that every person, to live wisely, must find a figure—whether living or ideal—to emulate, to learn from, and to anchor their becoming. Nietzsche, though often remembered as a philosopher of rebellion, was in this moment a philosopher of reverence. He reminds us that a man without a father, whether through absence or neglect, is not doomed to drift in darkness. For if he cannot inherit virtue by blood, he must seek it by choice—he must procure a father, that is, find one worthy of imitation.

In the ancient way, this truth was long known. The Greeks taught that virtue could be transmitted not only through family, but through discipleship. Socrates was a father to Plato, Plato to Aristotle, and Aristotle to generations of seekers who followed. These men were bound not by blood, but by wisdom. Their lineage was that of the spirit, not the flesh. Nietzsche, in his austere way, rekindles this idea: that one’s soul must find its model, its guiding hand, its father of the mind. To “procure a good father” is not to replace one’s parent, but to find within or beyond oneself a figure who embodies truth, courage, and integrity—someone whose shadow can shelter and sharpen the heart.

Nietzsche’s own life gives this quote its depth. He lost his biological father, a Lutheran pastor, when he was just a boy. Yet the absence of that father left in him a lifelong yearning for structure, meaning, and order. He sought in philosophy what he had lost in childhood—a paternal force to guide the soul toward strength and clarity. From this hunger was born his vision of self-overcoming, of the individual rising through discipline and will to become his own master, his own father. In truth, when Nietzsche said “procure one,” he may also have meant become one—for in the absence of good guidance, the wise must learn to guide themselves.

We see this same truth reflected throughout history. When Alexander the Great was a boy, he found his “father” not only in King Philip of Macedon, but in Aristotle, his teacher. From his biological father he inherited ambition, but from his spiritual father he learned philosophy, ethics, and the art of thinking. Between the two, Alexander forged his destiny—one gave him power, the other gave him purpose. So it is with us: if we are fortunate, we learn from our earthly fathers; if not, we must seek elsewhere. A good father, in whatever form, is a source of discipline and vision—the living reminder that greatness is not found in impulse, but in order, in guidance, in the wisdom of those who came before.

Nietzsche’s counsel is therefore both a warning and a calling. The warning: that a life without guidance drifts into chaos, ruled by passion and confusion. The calling: that each soul must seek its teachers, its examples, its mentors, with devotion and humility. One may find a father in a book, in a mentor, in a friend, even in the voice of conscience that speaks in solitude. For the world is not barren of fathers—it is only that many have forgotten how to seek them. To “procure” is to act deliberately, to recognize the value of virtue and pursue it as one would pursue treasure.

And yet, Nietzsche’s words also carry the whisper of empowerment. For while he honors the role of the father, he also suggests that the responsibility lies with the seeker. If no guide appears, one must become the guide. The child who never knew strength must learn to embody it; the one who never saw integrity must strive to create it. In the ancient tradition, this was the way of the hero—the orphan who becomes the founder, the wanderer who becomes the lawgiver. In their loneliness, such souls learn to father themselves, to build within their hearts the voice of wisdom they never heard from another’s lips.

So, dear listener, take this lesson to heart: seek your fathers wisely. If you have one who is good, learn from him. If you do not, do not curse your fate—procure one. Read the words of the wise, sit at the feet of mentors, and surround yourself with those whose lives are shaped by virtue. Let every encounter refine you. And if you find no teacher worthy, then vow to become the teacher you needed, to be the father of your own character and the guardian of your own destiny.

Thus, the wisdom of Friedrich Nietzsche stands as both reminder and commandment. It reminds us that all souls need guidance, and it commands us to seek it, to cherish it, or to create it. For to live without direction is to wander blind through the wilderness of life—but to find or become a good father, whether in spirit or in self, is to inherit the oldest gift of mankind: the wisdom that gives form to chaos, and the strength that turns the child of fate into the master of destiny.