No doubt, when modesty was made a virtue, it was a very advantageous thing for the fools, for everybody is expected to speak of himself as if he were one. Arthur Schopenhauer More Quotes by Arthur Schopenhauer More Quotes From Arthur Schopenhauer Many books serve merely to show how many ways there are of being wrong, and how far astray you yourself would go if you followed their guidance. You should read only when your own thoughts dry up. Arthur Schopenhauer dry-upbookway Life is a business that does not cover the costs. Arthur Schopenhauer costlife-isdoe It is difficult to keep quiet if you have nothing to do Arthur Schopenhauer keeping-quietdifficultquiet A man's face as a rule says more, and more interesting things, than his mouth, for it is a compendium of everything his mouth will ever say, in that it is the monogram of all this man's thoughts and aspirations. Arthur Schopenhauer mouthsmeninteresting This world could not have been the work of an all-loving being, but that of a devil, who had brought creatures into existence in order to delight in the sight of their sufferings. Arthur Schopenhauer sufferingsightorder The vanity of existence is revealed in the whole form existence assumes: in the infiniteness of time and space contrasted with the finiteness of the individual in both; in the fleeting present as the sole form in which actuality exists; in the contingency and relativity of all things; in continual becoming without being; in continual desire without satisfaction; in the continual frustration of striving of which life consists. . . Time is that by virtue of which everything becomes nothingness in our hands and loses all real value. Arthur Schopenhauer vanityfrustrationreal The wise have always said the same things, and fools, who are the majority have always done just the opposite. Arthur Schopenhauer wisdomwiseopposites Poverty and slavery are thus only two forms ofthe same thing, the essence of which is that a man's energies are expended for the most part not on his own behalf but on that of others. Arthur Schopenhauer essencementwo Genius is its own reward; for the best that one is, one must necessarily be for oneself. . . . Further, genius consists in the working of the free intellect., and as a consequence the productions of genius serve no useful purpose. The work of genius may be music, philosophy, painting, or poetry; it is nothing for use or profit. To be useless and unprofitable is one of the characteristics of genius; it is their patent of nobility. Arthur Schopenhauer musicuselessphilosophy Wicked thoughts and worthless efforts gradually set their mark on the face, especially the eyes. Arthur Schopenhauer wickedefforteye Every truth passes through 3 stages before it is recognized 1)ridicule 2) opposition 3) accepted as self-evident. Arthur Schopenhauer acceptedselfinspirational If a man wants to read good books, he must make a point of avoiding bad ones; for life is short, and time and energy limited. Arthur Schopenhauer life-is-shortmenbook Just as the largest library, badly arranged, is not so useful as a very moderate one that is well arranged, so the greatest amount of knowledge, if not elaborated by our own thoughts, is worth much less than a far smaller volume that has been abundantly and repeatedly thought over. Arthur Schopenhauer libraryresearchmanagement Life is a language in which certain truths are conveyed to us; if we could learn them in some other way, we should not live. Arthur Schopenhauer true-lifelanguageway If two men who were friends in their youth meet again when they are old, after being separated for a life-time, the chief feeling they will have at the sight of each other will be one of complete disappointment at life as a whole; because their thoughts will be carried back to that earlier time when life seemed so fair as it lay spread out before them in the rosy light of dawn, promised so much — and then performed so little. Arthur Schopenhauer lightdisappointmentsight Everybody's friend is nobody's. Arthur Schopenhauer relationship Marrying means doing whatever possible to become repulsed of each other Arthur Schopenhauer weddingmarriagemean Opinion is like a pendulum and obeys the same law. If it goes past the centre of gravity on one side, it must go a like distance on the other; and it is only after a certain time that it finds the true point at which it can remain at rest. Arthur Schopenhauer distancelawpast He who does not enjoy solitude will not love freedom. Arthur Schopenhauer freedomsolitudelove The reason domestic pets are so lovable and so helpful to us is because they enjoy, quietly and placidly, the present moment. Arthur Schopenhauer helpfulcatpet
