Arthur Schopenhauer was a renowned German philosopher of the 19th century. He is best known for his 1818 work “The World As Will And Representation“. Through his book, he explains that the core of the phenomenal world is an insatiable, blind, and irrational metaphysical will, always wanting more and never satisfied. Let’s explore the most famous Arthur Schopenhauer quotes that offer profound insights into the nature of human desire, suffering, and the pursuit of happiness.
Born in the city of Danzig, Schopenhauer was among the first thinkers in Western philosophy to affirm significant tenets of Eastern philosophy.
His pessimistic view on life, characterized by the concept of the “will to live” profoundly influenced 19th-century thought.
He was often referred to as “the philosopher of pessimism,” although his work reveals a deep wisdom that can teach us how to navigate life’s most challenging circumstances
Schopenhauer wrote on a variety of topics, including philosophy, aesthetics, ethics, morality, and metaphysics. Beyond philosophy, his works influenced important areas such as psychology, art, and politics.
Some of his notable works include Anthropic principle, Eternal justice, Animal ethics, and Criticism of German idealism.
Schopenhauer is often described as a genius philosopher who pondered on subjects like loneliness, solitude, boredom, and what true happiness means.
He influenced the work of many great thinkers, from philosophers to psychologists and physicists, including Sigmund Freud, Friedrich Nietzsche, Albert Einstein, and so many others.
Here are the best Arthur Schopenhauer quotes about life, death, love, freedom, money, marriage, and more. These inspirational quotes will help you understand the true meaning of life and the profound mysteries of existence.
Top 10 Arthur Schopenhauer Quotes
- “Compassion is the basis of morality.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
Arthur Schopenhauer Quotes - “To live alone is the fate of all great souls.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
Famous Quotes By Arthur Schopenhauer - “A pessimist is an optimist in full possession of the facts.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
Schopenhauer Quotes - “Man can do what he wills but he cannot will what he wills.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
Best Arthur Schopenhauer Quotes - “Mostly it is the loss which teaches us about the worth of things.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
Quotes From Schopenhauer - “The greatest of follies is to sacrifice health for any other kind of happiness.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
Schopenhauer Quotations - “Talent hits a target no one else can hit; Genius hits a target no one else can see.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
Quotes By Schopenhauer - “It is difficult to find happiness within oneself, but it is impossible to find it anywhere else.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
Quotes From Arthur Schopenhauer - “The wise have always said the same things, and fools, who are the majority have always done just the opposite.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
- “All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
Famous Quotes By Arthur Schopenhauer
- “Happiness consists in frequent repetition of pleasure.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
- “A high degree of intellect tends to make a man unsocial.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
- “The two enemies of human happiness are pain and boredom.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
- “The person who writes for fools is always sure of a large audience.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
- “Each person can be listened to, but not everyone is worth talking to.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
- “Great men are like eagles, and build their nest on some lofty solitude.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
- “Satisfaction consists in freedom from pain, which is the positive element of life.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
- “The doctor sees all the weakness of mankind; the lawyer all the wickedness, the theologian all the stupidity.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
- “Each day is a little life: every waking and rising a little birth, every fresh morning a little youth, every going to rest and sleep a little death.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
- “Money is human happiness in the abstract; he, then, who is no longer capable of enjoying human happiness in the concrete devotes himself utterly to money.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
Best Quotes of Arthur Schopenhauer
- “A sense of humour is the only divine quality of man.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
- “It is a clear gain to sacrifice pleasure in order to avoid pain.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
- “After your death, you will be what you were before your birth.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
- “Life is short and truth works far and lives long: let us speak the truth.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
- “The man never feels the want of what it never occurs to him to ask for.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
- “There is no doubt that life is given us, not to be enjoyed, but to be overcome; to be got over.” – Arthur Schopenhauer
- “Wealth is like sea-water; the more we drink, the thirstier we become; and the same is true of fame.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
- “Boredom is just the reverse side of fascination: both depend on being outside rather than inside a situation, and one leads to the other.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
- “Every possession and every happiness is but lent by chance for an uncertain time, and may therefore be demanded back the next hour.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
- “A man can be himself only so long as he is alone, and if he does not love solitude, he will not love freedom, for it is only when he is alone that he is really free.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
Arthur Schopenhauer Quotes And Sayings
- “Treat a work of art like a prince. Let it speak to you first.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
- “Friends and acquaintances are the surest passport to fortune.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
- “Just remember, once you’re over the hill you begin to pick up speed.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
- “We forfeit three-quarters of ourselves in order to be like other people.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
- “Almost all of our sorrows spring out of our relations with other people.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
- “The safest way of not being very miserable is not to expect to be very happy.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
- “It may be confidently asserted that he who is cruel to animals cannot be a good man.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
- “The alchemists in their search for gold discovered many other things of greater value.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
- “The first forty years of life give us the text; the next thirty supply the commentary on it.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
- “Honor means that a man is not exceptional; fame, that he is. Fame is something which must be won; honor, only something which must not be lost.” — Arthur Schopenhauer
Conclusion
Did you enjoy these thought-provoking and impactful Arthur Schopenhauer quotes and sayings? Which of these quotes are your favorite? Is there a quote that we’ve missed? Let us know in the comments section what your thoughts are.
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