Brilliant Quotes by Arthur Schopenhauer!
Arthur Schopenhauer, a profound and often provocative German philosopher, remains one of the most influential thinkers. His philosophy, deeply rooted in pessimism and realism, offers a unique lens through which to view human existence, society, and the nature of the individual. Schopenhauer's reflections often explore themes of solitude, compassion, intellect, and the struggle between human desires and reality.
"Man invents the boundaries of the world. It can be the size of a street or it can become [Music] infinite. Whoever does not love solitude does not love freedom, for only in solitude can one be free. The wise do not so much seek solitude as avoid the chaos created by fools."
From the perspective of youth, life is an endless future; from the perspective of old age, it is a very short past. "The state is nothing more than a muzzle for taming the carnivorous animal called man, and giving him a somewhat herbivorous nature." Even in the same circumstances, people still live in different worlds.
"But to forgive and forget is to throw away valuable lessons learned. Politeness is an openly acknowledged counterfeit currency. If a friend betrays you, part ways with them, or accept that they will betray you again. People do not change." Compassion for animals is so closely linked to kindness of character that one can confidently say a cruel person cannot be kind.
"Every person can fully be themselves only when they are alone. To marry is to have your rights and double your responsibilities. Each person sees in others only what is within themselves, for they can perceive and understand others only to the extent of their own intellect."
"Everyone can be heard, but not everyone is worth speaking to. Do not tell your friend what your enemy must not know. It would be wise to say to yourself more often, 'I cannot change this; I must learn to benefit from it.' What a person is inside is undoubtedly more important than what they possess."
"Natural intellect can replace education, but no education can replace natural intellect. A mediocre person thinks about how to kill time, while a talented person thinks about how to use it."
"Society can be compared to a fire; the wise warm themselves at a safe distance, while the fool thrusts themselves into the flames, only to retreat to the cold solitude, lamenting that the fire burns." Inner poverty eventually leads to external poverty.
"It is wiser to care for one's health and develop one's abilities than to amass wealth. A person with inner richness will not demand much from fate. In conversation, avoid all critical, even well-intentioned, remarks; it is easy to offend someone but hard, if not impossible, to correct them."
"While savages devour each other, civilized people deceive each other, and this is called the course of life. The only thing that can counter boredom and sorrow is richness of spirit; this once again confirms that happiness depends on a person's character."
"When people come into close contact with each other, their behavior resembles that of porcupines trying to keep warm on a cold winter's night. They press against each other because they are cold, but the closer they get, the more painfully they prick each other with their long quills."
"Solitude frees us from the need to constantly live in the eyes of others and consequently to cater to their opinions. Health outweighs all other blessings in life so much that a healthy beggar is happier than a sick king."
"We rarely think about what we have, but we always worry about what we do not have. The herd hates most of all the person who thinks differently; it hates not so much their opinion as the courage to think independently, to differ from others—something the herd cannot do."
"People are sociable because they cannot endure solitude; that is, themselves. To reconcile with a person and renew a broken friendship is a weakness that you will regret when they repeat the same action that caused the break."
"Compassion is the foundation of all morality. No one can see above themselves. A person can perceive in another only as much as they themselves possess, and understand others only in proportion to their own intellect."
"Living only for oneself, a person feels surrounded by strangers and enemies, and the good of each hinders their own. Living for others, a person feels surrounded by friends, and the good of each is their own good."
"If you do not wish to make enemies, strive not to display your superiority over others. Fate shuffles the cards and we play them. Without a woman, our life would be at the beginning defenseless, in the middle joyless, and in the end comfortless. 9/10 of our happiness depends on health."
"Glory is something to be earned; honor is something not to be lost. What people call fate is essentially just the sum of their foolish actions. Truth goes through three stages: first, it is ridiculed; then it is fiercely opposed; finally, it is accepted as self-evident."
"The similarity between a genius and a madman lies in that both live in a completely different world than everyone else. [Music] Every person limits the boundaries of the world to the boundaries of their own vision. In old age, there is no greater consolation than the consciousness that all one's youthful energy was devoted to a cause that does not grow old."
"One of the main obstacles to the progress of humanity is that people obey not the wisest but the loudest. If I keep my secret, it is my prisoner; if I release it, I am its prisoner."
"Wealth is like saltwater; the more you drink, the thirstier you become. The human mind is a more terrifying weapon than a lion's claws. All scoundrels, unfortunately, are sociable."
"A family of hedgehogs would be glad to huddle together for warmth, but the neighbors' quills force them to maintain a distance. Independence of judgment is the privilege of the few; the rest are guided by authority and example."
"If possible, harbor no feelings of hostility. My philosophy has brought me no income at all, but it has saved me from many expenses."