Zarathustra constantly talks about the main goal of human beings: reaching the overman. The overman is a state in which one has evolved beyond the humanistic characteristics that each person possess. There is no right and wrong or good and evil because true happiness is defined by each person. Throughout Nietzsche's book, Thus Spoke Zarathustra, Zarathustra gives various teachings on how one can reach the state of the overman. However as the book progresses, the reader sees Zarathustra having troubles of reaching the overman himself. Many doubt his teachings because he himself was unsure of his true state. Zarathustra realizes that he must work on himself first in order to give true teachings and values of reaching the overman. He must overcome his pity and love towards human beings and his revenge of time. These characteristics have held Zarathustra from becoming the best human being. As he continues to his journey, Zarathustra eventually overcomes his weaknesses of pity, love, and revenge, which lead to his success of reaching the overman.
Zarathustra realizes he has not achieved the complete state of being when he discovers that he pities human beings. He pities humanity because he wants to help them achieve this state of overman. Wanting to help humanity, Zarathustra often leaves his solidity in order to share his thoughts and teachings. In "Of the Compassionate," Zarathustra preaches that one should not take pity on mankind or relate to them. He says that pity, "is like a canker: it creeps and hides and wants to appear nowhere – until the whole body is rotten and withered by littler cankers" (Nietzsche, 113). It is a painful disease that will soon overtake one's body, which leads to the desire to die. Just like in humanity, once one gives too much pity on another, one will be too busy helping the other. There will nothing left for himself and he will not be able to achieve true happiness.
