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
In the sphere of thought, absurdity and perversity remain the masters of the world, and their dominion is suspended only for brief periods.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote suggests that irrationality and unreasonableness often dominate human thought, with moments of clarity being rare.
Arthur Schopenhauer reflects on the nature of human thought, asserting that absurdity and irrationality have a prevailing influence over our ideas and actions. He implies that while there may be fleeting moments of reason and understanding, they are overshadowed by the chaos of irrationality, which governs much of human behavior and perception.
Themes
AbsurdityThoughtIrrationalityHuman BehaviorPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
This quote is perfect for a philosophical discussion about the nature of human consciousness.
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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.
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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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