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
National character is only another name for the particular form which the littleness, perversity and baseness of mankind take in every country. Every nation mocks at other nations, and all are right.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Every nation reflects the flaws of humanity, and each country has a unique way of expressing these shortcomings.
In this quote, Arthur Schopenhauer suggests that national character merely showcases the common flaws found in human nature, such as pettiness and malice. He implies that while nations may deride each other for these traits, they are merely highlighting the universal imperfections inherent in humanity, making the criticism valid across the board as each nation's faults are a mirror of a deeper human condition.
Themes
National CharacterHuman NatureFlawsCriticismPerversity
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about international relations, one might quote Schopenhauer to highlight the universal flaws that all nations share.
More from Arthur Schopenhauer
All quotes βTo be shocked at how deeply rejection hurts is to ignore what acceptance involves. We must never allow our suffering to be compounded by suggestions that there is something odd in suffering so deeply. There would be something amiss if we didn't.
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Almost all of our sorrows spring out of our relations with other people.
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Life is full of troubles and vexations, that one must either rise above it by means of corrected thoughts, or leave it.
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Our religions will never at any time take root; the ancient wisdom of the human race will not be supplanted by the events in Galilee. On the contrary, Indian wisdom flows back to Europe, and will produce a fundamental change in our knowledge and thought.
Arthur SchopenhauerRead
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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