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The rules of happiness, according to Schopenhauer

Arthur Schopenhauer was a brilliant, profoundly ingenious German philosopher. and with great influence during the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th. He was characterized by proposing a clearly pessimistic position towards the world and life, which was reflected in his main work, The world as will and representation.

His great realism and the depth of his thought prevented him from seeing “the world in pink.” Even soSchopenhauer wrote an essay with 50 rules to achieve happiness.

“Happiness” is one of those imprecise concepts on which, throughout history, we have never agreed. We share the idea that it is a certain feeling of fulfillment and joy, but Each person reaches that state for different reasons.. In fact, many claim that it is not even a state as such, but rather a passing perception.

“The joy of life consists in always having something to do, someone to love and something to look forward to.”

-Thomas Chalmers-

Schopenhauer developed a concept of happiness that was based on prudence and ethics. In his thinking, happiness has much more to do with inner peace than with exaltation or joy. Of his fifty rules for happiness, we have selected 10 that you may find enriching.

1. Avoid envy, a basic rule in Schopenhauer’s thought

“Rule number 2. Avoid envy. We know how cruel and relentless envy is, and yet we strive endlessly to arouse it in others. Because?”

Envy is a very negative force that can take over our hearts. and block the joy of living. Those who are more focused on what others do or feel neglect the task of building their own happiness. This is what a study carried out by Dr. George Foster of the University of Chicago reveals, for example.

According to this study, Envy is the most dangerous emotion, the one that creates the most distance between people and the one that creates true unhappiness.

2. Let go of the results

“Rule number 7. Reflect deeply on something before undertaking it and once done, do not be distressed by the results, but completely detach yourself from the matter”

We often do: We focus exclusively on results and achieving goals. If we do not achieve it, we experience the deepest failure, the most bitter disappointment.

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Now, nothing can be more satisfying than feeling good about the effort made. The result does not matter, the process matters, what we learn, feeling proud of ourselves and being able to try new things, other projects that in the long run will bring us the expected success.

3. Allow ourselves joy

“Rule number 13. When we are happy, we should not ask each other’s permission to do so by asking if we have a reason to be so.”

Many people experience a certain strangeness and even guilt when they feel happy.. This is because others suffer or because suffering is considered more praiseworthy than joy. It is important to let go of these ideas and be able to experience joy, without any questioning.

Learning to enjoy the moment, to feel emotionally free, is an exceptional mechanism for achieving happiness.

4. Control fantasies

“Rule number 18: In all things that affect our well-being and discomfort, our hopes and fears, we must rein in fantasy.”

Goya said that “imagination breeds monsters”. Both with our fears and our ambitions, we tend to let fantasy fly. That is why we end up seeing dangers greater than those that really exist or gigantic successes that, in any case, do not come from simply dreaming about them.

Fantasy can sometimes be beneficial as a channel for creativity. As a mechanism to find motivation and clarification of goals and new ideas. Now, if this entire universe of ideas serves no purpose and leads us towards a sinkhole where we dream impossible things and end up frustrated, it is better to control our thoughts.

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5. Avoid unhappiness

“Rule number 22. Living happily can only mean living as unhappily as possible”

Although it may seem obvious, not all people avoid unhappiness. In fact, there are those who look for it and, of course, find it. For Schopenhauer, The healthy thing is to avoid or eradicate all those situations that can bring us misfortune.because in essence they are not worth it and are only the source of new difficulties.

6. Value what you have

“Rule number 25. We must see what we own as we would be looking at it if someone took it from us; Be it property, health, friends, lovers, wife and children, most of the time we only feel their value after we have lost them.

Every day we should wake up and think about everything we have to give thanks for.. Starting with one more day of life, with a roof, a bed and a conscience to value what we have and that many others do not have. Thus, within positive psychology, authors such as Martin Seligman often remind us of the need to appreciate what we already have in order to have a good starting point. That where we feel safe, that where we find encouragement and motivation to invest in well-being.

7. Undertake and learn

“Rule number 30. The activity of undertaking or learning something is necessary for the happiness of the human being”

Having plans and projects brings an important dose of enthusiasm to life. It doesn’t matter if that project is simply growing a plant or making a delicious meal. Those small businesses are a treasure.

The same way, Learning always allows us to feel that we are growing and evolving; Therefore, it contributes to the happiness of living.

8. Take care of your health

“Rule number 32. At least nine tenths of our happiness is based exclusively on health”

-TO. Schopenhauer

With the disease the perspective on life completely changes. Those who have had to suffer the rigors of pain, discomfort or limitation know this. Health is a true treasure that we must take care of to be able to enjoy everything else.

9. Be compassionate with ourselves

“Rule number 34. When we analyze our life and our failures in it, we can easily go too far in reproaching ourselves.”

The first form of kindness must be directed towards ourselves, defends Schopenhauer. It is important to evaluate ourselves, recognize mistakes and learn from them. What we should not do is lambast ourselves, criticize ourselves too much or point harshly at ourselves. In the end, it’s of no use.

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In fact, studies such as the one published in the journal “Psychology Science” reminds us that Investing in self-esteem and self-care is a way not only to be happier, but to invest in quality of life and health.

10. Prepare for the passage of time

“Rule number 35. What we most frequently and almost necessarily neglect and stop taking into account in our life plans are the transformations that time operates in ourselves”

When we are young, it seems as if old age is something that happens to others, never to us. This fantasy leads us to live without preparing for that future where the weight of the years introduces new limitations and new vulnerabilities. Whoever prepares for old age guarantees a better life in that fragile stage of life..

To conclude, as we can see, these lessons of wisdom from Schopenhauer are authentic gifts to reflect on daily. Happiness is not a goal, it is a path in which to invest daily by making simple changes in our personal approach. Go ahead and check it out.

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All cited sources were reviewed in depth by our team to ensure their quality, reliability, validity and validity. The bibliography in this article was considered reliable and of academic or scientific accuracy.

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