Arthur Schopenhauer:
(Danzig, 22 February 1788 – Frankfurt am Main, 21 September 1860). German philosopher who formulated a distinctly pessimistic world view. He is also known as a great stylist. His best-known work is Die Welt als Wille und Vorstellung (1818, 1844) in which he sets out his own metaphysics: behind the sensory world is a general will of which we humans are merely phenomenal manifestations. Therefore, in this worldview, man is primarily a ‘willed’ being in which desire is central and not reasonable reason. Because of this philosophy, Schopenhauer is considered the main forerunner of the philosophy of life. Schopenhauer was of great influence for philosophy in the second half of the 19th century, but in the 20th century his influence has gone into obscurity.
So the need of society, arising from the emptiness and monotony of one’s own inner being, drives people towards one another; but their many disgusting qualities and intolerable faults repel them from each other.
Fate shuffles the cards and we play.
It would be good to buy books if you could buy the time to read them together with them, but people often confuse buying books with learning their contents.
We are responsible not only for what we do, but also for what we accept without objection.
True, deep peace of heart and complete tranquility of mind can only be found in solitude.
Ever since I got to know people, I have loved animals.
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.
Those who do not enjoy solitude will not love freedom.
To free a man from error is not to take something from him, but to give him something.
Newspapers are the second hand of history. This hand, however, is usually not only of inferior metal to the other hands, it also seldom works properly.
It is difficult to find happiness within oneself, but it is impossible to find it anywhere else.
