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If we were not all so interested in ourselves, life would be so uninteresting that none of us would be able to endure it.
Arthur Schopenhauer
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Interpretation

What this quote means

Self-interest drives our engagement with life, making it more bearable.

This quote by Arthur Schopenhauer suggests that an intrinsic focus on ourselves and our experiences is what gives life its meaning and excitement. Without this self-interest, the world would be dull and unendurable, highlighting the paradox that our egocentrism is integral to our enjoyment and engagement with life.

Themes

Self-InterestLifeEngagementMeaningExistence

In practice

Example use cases

This quote can be shared in a philosophical discussion about the nature of human existence.

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We can come to look upon the deaths of our enemies with as much regret as we feel for those of our friends, namely, when we miss their existence as witnesses to our success.
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We will gradually become indifferent to what goes on in the minds of other people when we acquire a knowledge of the superficial nature of their thoughts, the narrowness of their views and of the number of their errors. Whoever attaches a lot of value to the opinions of others pays them too much honor.
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