Arthur Schopenhauer (1788 – 1860) was a German philosopher who had an extremely pessimistic worldview. This pessimism has been the basis for his philosophical thought, his theoretical works and his practical treatises. Because the purpose of our existence is indeed nothing other than the insight that we would be better off not being there, according to Schopenhauer.
Philosophical pessimism
Schopenhauer’s philosophical pessimism can be reduced to two propositions. On the one hand, to the statement that it would have been better for the individual if he or she had not been born. And on the other hand to the statement that the world as a whole is the worst of all possible worlds. However, according to Schopenhauer, this pessimism does not hinder the pursuit of a happy life. In addition to writing his magnum opus The World as Will and Representation , Schopenhauer also wrote a number of small practical treatises, including a treatise on The Art of Being Happy .
Factors of happiness
Precisely from the pessimistic belief that human life goes back and forth between pain and boredom. And from the point of view that this world is nothing but a vale of tears, Schopenhauer calls on us in this situation to make use of a valuable tool that Mother Nature has made available to us. Namely the human ingenuity and the practical wisdom to formulate and use rules of conduct and living in order to subsequently achieve a certain state of bliss.
Based on Aristotle, Schopenhauer formulates the most important criteria for his view of happiness and the factors on which this happiness depends, namely:
- What someone is, that is, the personality in the broadest sense such as health, strength, beauty, moral character, mind and spiritual development.
- What someone has, that is to say, his possessions and goods.
- What a person represents, that is, his reputation, prestige and fame consisting in the judgment that others have of him.
The unchangeable man
For Schopenhauer the first point is the most essential for a person’s happiness or unhappiness. Because what a person has for himself, what accompanies him in his loneliness and that no one can give or take away from him, is much more essential than everything he possesses or what he is in the eyes of others. A spiritual person in total solitude sustains himself excellently by his own thoughts and fantasies, while a dull person is bored despite a constant change of performances, parties and excursions.
So if the subjective, the personality, is the most essential , then the annoying thing about it is that the subjective is completely out of our control. While having property and assets and achieving prestige and fame are still possible for everyone to influence and achieve. According to Schopenhauer, who or what someone is is largely determined once and for all at birth. And this innate character accompanies everyone everywhere and always. In short, nothing is as unchangeable as man. Ultimately, according to Schopenhauer, happiness will be much more a matter of self-acceptance, living and striving in accordance with your personality, than of free self-development. So become who you are.
Happiness and rules of life
According to Schopenhauer, the doctrine of human happiness consists of a number of basic elements. First of all, cheerfulness and a happy temperament. Immediately after that comes physical health. Third, mental calm. And finally external goods. Based on these four basic elements, Schopenhauer has drawn up 50 rules of life. Below is a random selection of some of these rules of life for illustration purposes.
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If you are cheerful, you do not have to ask yourself permission first by considering whether you have reason to be cheerful in every respect. |
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An evil that has befallen us does not torment us as much as the thought of the circumstances by which it could have been averted. Therefore, nothing can be so effective in reassuring us as to consider what happened from the point of view of fatalism. |
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Do not raise great shouts or great wails at any event, because, due to the changeability of all things, it can change at any moment into something completely different. On the other hand, you should always enjoy the present as cheerfully as possible. |
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We must try to get to the point where we see what we have as we would see it if it were taken from us. |
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We should look more often at those who are worse off than we are than at those who seem to be doing better. The most effective consolation in our real misfortune is to see the much greater suffering of others. A close second is interacting with those who are in the same boat. |
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The surest way to avoid becoming very unhappy is not to desire to become very happy, that is, to be modest in your claims to pleasure, possessions, prestige and honor. |
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Happiness is not an easy matter. It is very difficult within ourselves, and impossible to find anywhere else. |
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Anyone who is richly provided by nature no longer needs anything from outside other than free time to enjoy his inner wealth. He is actually the happiest, given the time. |