Arthur Schopenhauer

Pessimist philosophy

Modern influential 231 sayings

Sayings by Arthur Schopenhauer

Every genius is a great child.

1851 — Parerga and Paralipomena, Vol. II, Chapter 25, 'On Genius'
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The animal enjoys the present without the burden of memory or anxiety about the future; man, on the other hand, is tormented by reflection.

1818/1819 — The World as Will and Representation, Vol. I, Book IV, § 54
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The greatest wisdom is to make the present the object of one's consciousness, so that one is always in the present.

Posthumous publication, from notes prior to 1860 — Manuscript Remains, Vol. III, 'On the Will'
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The less a man is burdened by his own will, the more he is capable of objective knowledge.

1818/1819 — The World as Will and Representation, Vol. I, Book III, § 38
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Sleep is the interest we have to pay on the capital which is called health.

1851 — Parerga and Paralipomena, Vol. I, 'Aphorisms on the Wisdom of Life'
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The best thing in life is to be born an idiot.

Approx. 19th Century — Attributed, though precise source is elusive, reflecting his pessimistic philosophy.
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Man is at bottom a savage, horrible beast. We know it, if we look at the origin of society.

1851 — Parerga and Paralipomena, Vol. II, Chapter 12, 'On the Suffering of the World'
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The only sure way not to be miserable is not to be born.

Approx. 19th Century — Attributed, reflecting his pessimistic philosophy, though an exact source is hard to pinpoint; simil…
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The value of a man is measured by the extent to which he is willing to submit to the yoke of suffering.

Posthumous publication, from notes prior to 1860 — Manuscript Remains, Vol. III, 'On the Will'
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Human life, when viewed in its entirety, is a tragedy; but in its details it has the character of a comedy.

1844 — The World as Will and Representation, Vol. II, Chapter 46, 'On the Vanity and Suffering of Life'
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The fundamental error of all previous philosophy has been to regard man as a rational being.

Posthumous publication, from notes prior to 1860 — Manuscript Remains, Vol. III, 'On the Will'
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The greatest happiness is not to be born.

1818/1819 — The World as Will and Representation, Vol. I, Book IV, § 59
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The more intelligent a man is, the more pain he will experience.

1851 — Parerga and Paralipomena, Vol. I, 'Aphorisms on the Wisdom of Life'
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The chief source of man's unhappiness is that he does not know how to stay quietly in his room.

Approx. 19th Century — Attributed, a common misattribution to Pascal, but Schopenhauer echoed similar sentiments on solitud…
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The will to live is the root of all suffering.

1818/1819 — The World as Will and Representation, Vol. I, Book IV, § 54
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The state is nothing but a large-scale institution for the protection of property.

1851 — Parerga and Paralipomena, Vol. II, Chapter 13, 'On Ethics'
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If you want to know what a man is really like, take a good look at how he treats his inferiors, not his equals.

Approx. 19th Century — Attributed, though precise source is not easily found in his major works, it aligns with his observa…
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The value of a man is determined by what he is, not by what he has.

1851 — Parerga and Paralipomena, Vol. I, 'Aphorisms on the Wisdom of Life'
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The greatest happiness for man is to escape the necessity of being born.

1818/1819 — The World as Will and Representation, Vol. I, Book IV, § 59
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The only original philosophical thought possible is the one that starts from the fact of suffering.

Posthumous publication, from notes prior to 1860 — Manuscript Remains, Vol. III, 'On Suffering'
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