Five Revealing Arthur Schopenhauer Quotes
Arthur Schopenhauer was one of the most renowned German philosophers. The quotes we share here are gifts to those who want to learn from him and reflect from his thoughts.
Schopenhauer admired Plato and Kant. Curiously enough, he was also influenced by Hindu philosophy, Buddhism, and Taoism.
“All religions promise a reward for excellences of the will or heart, but none for excellences of the head or understanding.”
-Arthur Schopenhauer-
Schopenhauer is also one of the most beloved philosophers, especially by young people. He had a very particular and humorous way of decomposing his thoughts. Also, his ethical thinking promotes compassion, self-denial, and art at its finest. His ideas are interesting and clear. You can see some of them reflected in this list of his best quotes.
1. An Arthur Schopenhauer quote on fate
Several Arthur Schopenhauer quotes are reflections about the meaning of life and freedom. He had a strong opinion on the concept of fate. He said: “Fate shuffles the cards and we play”.
Actually, this is a very clever reflection. We can define fate as all those circumstances that we can’t control, such as being born in a certain place, family, or time or living in certain historical conditions. However, we’re the ones who decide what to do in those situations with the resources we have available.
2. All men need a certain amount of pain
“And I may say, further, that a certain amount of care or pain or trouble is necessary for every man at all times. A ship without ballast is unstable and will not go straight.”
This quote criticizes humans’ lack of endurance and determination. It states that it’s important to experience adversity to keep moving forward. As he stated, you’ll never be strong if you’ve never faced difficulties.
3. Where can we find happiness?
The philosopher also reflected on happiness.
“It is difficult to find happiness within oneself, but it is impossible to find it anywhere else.”
He basically states two things in this quote. The first one is that finding happiness is no easy task. The other is that, despite it being difficult, there’s always a chance to find it.
4. Thinking and believing
Above all, Arthur Schopenhauer was a deep and intelligent thinker. He was really interested in the way humans process information.
He said: “The majority of men… are not capable of thinking but only believing, and… are not accessible to reason, but only to authority“.
Arthur Schopenhauer questioned why many people can’t think for themselves in an autonomous way. For him, what dominated the world was the repetition of voices of authority or what most people believe in.
5. Solitude and its rewards
Solitude is certainly one intriguing subject for big thinkers. It even made Arthur Schopenhauer come up with an interesting reflection: “The young should early be trained to bear being left alone; for it is a source of happiness and peace of mind”.
Like other philosophers, Schopenhauer sees solitude as an inevitable reality. As much as humans try to avoid it, sooner or later they’ll have to face the harshness of being alone. Schopenhauer’s advice is to discover it from an early age. This doesn’t only eradicate the fear of being alone, but it also guarantees greater happiness and peace.
Arthur Schopenhauer’s exquisite focus, literary skills, and strong thoughts will forever hold a special place in the history of philosophy.