5 revealing phrases from Arthur Schopenhauer

Arthur Schopenhauer’s phrases are the legacy of one of the best-known German philosophers. A gift for anyone who wants to get to know him up close and reflect on his thoughts.

Schopenhauer was a frequent admirer of Plato and Kant. Curiously, also ended up being greatly influenced by philosophy Hindu, as well as by Buddhism and Taoism. Thus he created his own philosophical system, which later nourished great philosophers such as Frederick Nietzsche.

“All religions promise a reward beyond this life, in eternity, for the merits of the will or the heart, but no reward for the merits of the head, of the understanding.”.

-Arthur Schopenhauer-

Schopenhauer is also one of the most beloved philosophers, especially by young people.. He has a very particular way of explaining his thoughts, with great freshness and even a fine sense of humor.

His ethical thinking promotes compassion the self-denial of the self and art as maximum expression. His approaches are interesting and lucid. Some of them are captured in this selection of phrases.

1. Arthur Schopenhauer’s quotes about destiny

Several phrases by Arthur Schopenhauer are reflections on the meaning of life and freedom. In relation to this topic he also establishes a position regarding the concept of destiny. In this regard he points out: “Destiny He is the one who shuffles the cards, but we who play them”.

It is a very sharp reflection. Destiny could be defined as all those circumstances that are beyond our control. Being born in a certain time, place, family. Living certain historical conditions, etc. But we are the ones who decide what to do with those determinations.

2. When no wind is favorable

This is one of the most beautiful phrases by Arthur Schopenhauer. He says: “There is no favorable wind for those who do not know which port they are heading to.”. This is a statement that implicitly criticizes the lack of clarity and determination in human beings.

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This phrase from Schopenhauer suggests the importance of defining a north in order to move forward. As he points out, There is no way to face vicissitudes successfully if it is not clear where we are heading.. The what helps you find the how.

3. Where to find happiness?

A good part of Arthur Schopenhauer’s sentences are dedicated to ethics. In this framework, he makes several reflections on happiness. In reference to this he says: “It’s hard to find happiness within yourself, but it’s impossible to find it anywhere else.”.

With this he basically raises two realities. One, finding happiness is not an easy task. And the other, that despite this, If there is any possibility of carrying it out, it is a process that takes place inside the human being.. It is never found externally.

4. Think and believe

Arthur Schopenhauer was an intelligent and profound critic. He did not limit himself to his time and space, but he sought to go to the universal essence of the human being. Among the aspects that interest you most is the way of processing information.

In relation to this he states: “The majority of men are not capable of thinking, but only of believing, and are not accessible to reason, but only to authority.”. In this case he questions the resistance of many to think for themselves, autonomously. What prevails is the repetition of the voices of authority or majority.

5. Solitude and its fruits

Loneliness is also one of those topics that always intrigues great thinkers. It also gave rise to various reflections for Arthur Schopenhauer. One of them says: “The young person must, early on, be able to endure being alone; since he is a source of happiness and peace of mind”.

Like other philosophers, he sees loneliness as an unavoidable reality. No matter how much the human being resists, sooner or later he will have to face the rigors of being alone. Schopenhauer’s advice is to do it early. This not only resolves the fear of loneliness, but also ensures greater happiness and peace..

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Arthur Schopenhauer is and will be one of those thinkers who has no waste. His exquisite approach, his literary capacity and his sharp approaches will always have a prominent place in the history of philosophy.. We can learn from him in each of his lines. It will always be a delight to read it.