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In this photograph from 1899, the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche sits in silence at a mental asylum - a fragile shadow of the man he once was, ten years after his mind had fallen into darkness.
The story traces back to January 3rd, 1889, in Turin, Italy, when Nietzsche witnessed something unbearable: a carriage driver viciously beating his exhausted horse.
Unable to stand the cruelty, Nietzsche rushed toward the creature, threw his arms around its neck, and held it as tears streamed down his face. In that single, wordless moment, he kissed the suffering horse, as if begging the world for forgiveness - and then, his mind broke forever.
Since that day, the image of Nietzsche embracing the horse has endured as a haunting symbol of humanity itself - the man who spoke of power and will, yet was undone by tenderness. His compassion became his undoing. His heart, not his mind, reached the truth - and it shattered him.