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.
Arthur SchopenhauerRead
The little incidents and accidents of every day fill us with emotion, anxiety, annoyance, passion, as long as they are close to us, when they appear so big, so important, so serious; but as soon as they are borne down the restless stream of time they lose what significance they had; we think no more of them and soon forget them altogether. They were big only because they were near.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Our emotional reactions to daily events diminish over time as they fade from our immediate experience.
Arthur Schopenhauer's quote reflects on the transient nature of our emotions tied to daily events. He suggests that the significance we assign to these 'little incidents and accidents' is often inflated by their immediacy; over time, as we move further away from these events, their importance diminishes and they become forgettable. This observation urges us to consider the ephemeral nature of our anxieties and passions, which may not hold the same weight in the broader context of life.
Themes
EmotionAnxietyTimeIncidentsImportance
In practice
Example use cases
During a motivational speech about resilience: 'Remember, the little incidents we stress about often fade away with time.'
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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.
Arthur SchopenhauerRead
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