According to the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, it was actually completely impossible to become happy. Life is a big hell, with death as a reward. As the Buddha said: Life is suffering. Still, Schopenhauer left us with some tips on how to live. Tips that at least try to prevent a bigger accident.
About Arthur Schopenhauer
Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860) was known for his pessimistic view of life. However, his clear style of philosophizing has inspired many people, not least the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche. Schopenhauer studied philosophy in Berlin where he also became a teacher. However, that turned out not to be a success and he decided to live off his father’s legacy. For most of his life, Schopenhauer did not receive the recognition he sought. In his later years he received recognition for his work and spent his days in Frankfurt am Main, where he died in 1860.
Twenty-two rules for a happy life according to Schopenhauer
Below you will find twenty-two rules that, according to Schopenhauer, would lead to a less unhappy life. They can be found in the various books and notes he wrote.
- Stop looking for happiness. This is because the suffering is very real. It is better to avoid suffering as much as possible. In any case, this will ensure that we do not become too unhappy.
- Don’t be jealous. Pay attention to how many people are below you. Schopenhauer took this rule from Seneca, a Roman philosopher.
- Know how much you need. According to Schopenhauer, anyone who does not know the right measure is increasingly unhappy. By this he meant not only material things but also intangible things such as fame and love.
- Be willing to do what you can and endure what you must.
- Think carefully about what you do, but don’t worry.
- Don’t torment yourself with the thought that things could be different when misfortune strikes you.
- Ensure the highest degree of health. Better a healthy beggar than an unhealthy king
- Stop thinking when you are cheerful. Cheerfulness needs no reason.
- Keep the right balance between living in the present, the past and the future. Too much in the present makes you frivolous, too much in the past makes you wistful and too much in the future makes you fearful.
- With the current accident, remember that it can always be worse.
- Remember that life is not to be enjoyed, but to be endured.
- Curb your imagination.
- Be aware of the variability of events. Stay humble in the face of great happiness or misfortune.
- Life is like a game of chess with fate. We can make a plan, but we never know what fate will do. Make plans only in outline.
- Don’t look for happiness, look for peace.
- View your property as if you were losing it. You then appreciate it more and deal with it more carefully.
- Look more at those who are in worse shape than at those who are in better shape.
- Anyone who wants to be happy must do something, undertake something or learn something.
- Ninety percent of our happiness rests on our health. Live as healthy as possible.
- Do not desire to be very happy, that will ensure you will not have too much unhappiness.
- Accept your misfortune, by not doing so you will be punished twice.
- For happiness, what you are is much more important than what you have or imagine. The greatest happiness is your personality.
Pessimist
Schopenhauer is often called the pessimistic philosopher. Given the above, this is not that difficult to understand. However, we cannot deny him a certain sense of reality regarding the suffering of life.