But now observe how the heart, the soul, virtue, and spirit together conspire formally to thwart this purpose: as _if they_ were the object of every endeavour! ... The _degeneration of life_ is essentially determined by the extraordinary _fallibility of consciousness,_ which is held at bay least of all by the instincts, and thus commits the gravest and profoundest _errors._ Now could any more insane extravagance of vanity be imagined than to measure the _value_ of existence according to the _pleasant or unpleasant feelings of this consciousness_? It is obviously only a means: and pleasant or unpleasant feelings are also no more than means. According to what standard is the objective value measured? According to the quantity of _increased_ and _more organised power_ alone. 675. The value of all _valuing._--My desire would be to see the agent once more identified with the action, after action has been deprived of all meaning by having been separated in thought from the agent; I should like to see the notion of doing _something,_ the idea of a "purpose," of an "intention," of an object, reintroduced into the action, after action has been made insignificant by having been artificially separated from these things. All "objects," "purposes," "meanings," are only manners of expression and metamorphoses of the one will inherent in all phenomena; of the will to power. To have an object, a purpose, or an intention, in fact _to will_ generally, is equivalent to the desire for _greater strength,_ for fuller growth, and for the _means_ thereto _in addition._ The most general and fundamental instinct in all action and willing is precisely on that account the one which is least known and is most concealed; for in practice we always follow its bidding, for the simple reason that we _are_ in ourselves its bidding.... All valuations are only the results of, and the narrow points of view in _servings this_ one will: valuing _in itself_ is nothing save this, _--will to power._ To criticise existence from the standpoint of any one of these values is utter nonsense and error. Even supposing that a process of annihilation follows from such a value, even so this process is in the service of this will. The _valuation of existence itself!_ But existence is this valuing itself!--and even when we say "no," we still do what we _are._ We ought now to perceive the _absurdity_ of this pretence at judging existence; and we ought to try and discover _what_ actually takes place there. It is symptomatic. 676. _Concerning the Origin of our Valuations._