Quotes by Arthur Schopenhauer
Pleasure is never as pleasant as we expected it to be and pain is always more painful. The pain in the world always outweighs the pleasure. If you don't believe it, compare the respective feelings of two animals, one of which is eating the other.
If we suspect that a man is lying, we should pretend to believe him; for then he becomes bold and assured, lies more vigorously, and is unmasked.
If anyone spends almost the whole day in reading...he gradually loses the capacity for thinking...This is the case with many learned persons; they have read themselves stupid
Men are a thousand times more intent on becoming rich than on acquiring culture, though it is quite certain that what a man IS contributes more to his happiness than what he HAS.
All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.
Women remain children all their lives, for they always see only what is near at hand, cling to the present, take the appearance of a thing for reality, and prefer trifling matters to the most important.
What people commonly call fate is mostly their own stupidity.
To forgive and forget means to throw away dearly bought experience.
Just remember, once you're over the hill you begin to pick up speed.
It is difficult to find happiness within oneself, but it is impossible to find it anywhere else.
The majority of men... are not capable of thinking, but only of believing, and... are not accessible to reason, but only to authority.
Mostly it is loss which teaches us about the worth of things.
A man can be himself only so long as he is alone.
In their hearts women think that it is men's business to earn money and theirs to spend it.
A man can be himself only so long as he is alone; and if he does not love solitude, he will not love freedom; for it is only when he is alone that he is really free.
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.
A man of genius can hardly be sociable, for what dialogues could indeed be so intelligent and entertaining as his own monologues?
Religion is the masterpiece of the art of animal training, for it trains people as to how they shall think.
We seldom think of what we have but always of what we lack. Therefore, rather than grateful, we are bitter.
The shortness of life, so often lamented, may be the best thing about it.
Almost all of our sorrows spring out of our relations with other people.
Talent hits a target no one else can hit; Genius hits a target no one else can see.