Counsels and Maxims From The Essays Of Arthur Schopenhauer

nd able to do two things: to look ahead and to overlook: the one will p

ould remember the words of Mephistopheles: es muss auch solche K?uze geben[1]-there must be fools and rogues in the world. If he acts otherwise, he will be committing an injustice, and giving a challenge of life and death to the man he discards. No one can alter his own peculiar individuality, his moral character, his inte

Goethe's Fa

se of this character in such a way as its kind and nature permit, rather than to hope for any alteration in it, or to condemn it off-hand for what it is. This is the true sense of the maxim-Liv

e patience thus gained may be applied to our dealings with men, by accustoming ourselves to regard their opposition, wherever we encounter it, as the inevitable outcome of their nature, which sets itself up against us in virtue of the same rigid law of necessity as

atures are conversing, almost everything said by the one will, in a greater or less degree, displease the other, and in many cases produce positive annoyance; even though the conversation turn upon the most out-of-the-way subject, or one in which neithe

se who are not of the common run; and the less they are so, the more unsociable they become; so that if, in their isolation, they chance to come across some one in whose nature they can find even a single sympathetic c

d souls greeting each other from afar. Of course the most frequent opportunity of observing this is afforded by people of vulgar tastes and inferior intellect, but only because

f very intelligent and clever people, amongst whom there are only two blockheads, these two will be sure to be drawn together by a feeling of sympathy, and each of them will very soon secretly rejoice at having found at least one intelligent person in the whole company. It is really quite curious to see how two such men, especially if they are morally and intellectually of an

between persons of the most harmonious disposition. To correct the balance properly, so as to remove the disturbance-to introduce, as it were, a uniform temperature,-is a work demanding a very high degree of culture. The extent to which uniformity of mood is productive of good-fellowship may be measured by its effects upon a large company. When, for instance, a great many people are gathered together and presented with some objective interest which

ually had to something subjective. A bottle of wine is not an uncommon means of introd

y to remember all the fleeting influences which disturbed us on any given occasion. Memory is in this respect like the lens of a camera obscura: it contracts everything within its range, and so produces a much finer picture than the actual landscape affords. And, in the case of a man, absence always goes some way toward

e over his own height. Le

s in another, even though they be of the highest kind, will have no effect at all upon you; you will see nothing in their possessor except the meanest side of his individuality-in other words, just those parts of his ch

icise another's work, the range of knowledge possessed by the critic i

esent in one man, and absent in another, cannot come into play when they meet; and the self-s

and propriety of the expression, to make yourself cheap; and you will be glad to avoid the society of people whose only possible point of contact with you is just that part of your nature of which you have least reason to be proud. So you will see that, in dealing with fools and blockheads,

unoccupied, refrains from rattling or beating time with anything that happens to be handy,-his stic

; they seem to be conscious of existence only when they are making a noise; unless indeed they happen to be smoking, for this

deep veneration and great affection for one and the same person. If this is so, we s

on their good feeling and intelligence: but he must act genuinely in the matter and without dissimulation-not merely out of forbearance, which is at bottom a kind of contempt. This calls to mind a very true obs

iter much esteemed by Schopenhauer. His chief work, De l'Esprit, excited great interest and o

compared with love, veneration gives more real satisfaction; for it is connected with personal value, and the same is not directly true

l matter with them, no care is too great to avoid letting your remarks bear the slightest possible reference to the very worthy and sensitive individuals whom you have before you; for anything you may say will perhaps hurt their feelings. People really care about nothing that does not affect them personally. True and striking observations, fine, subtle and witty things are lost upon them: they cannot understand or feel them. But anything that disturbs their petty vanity in the most remote and indirect way, or reflects prejudicially upon their exceedingly precious selves-to that, they are most tenderly sensitive. In this respect they are like the little dog whose toes

true and right, but by the favor of the party or class to which they belong. And the ultimate reason of it all is, that in such people force of will greatly pred

mselves, and to think of nothing that is not straightway made into a personal matter. The aim of astrology is to bring the motions of the celesti

r instance, Stobasus

ill rest. You should comfort yourself with the reflection that the question will be afterwards gradually subjected to examination; light will be thrown upon it; it will be thought over, considered, discussed, and

h keeps good time, when all clocks in the town in which he lives are wrong. He alone knows the right time; but what use is that to hi

ildren, in that, if you spo

loan, but that you are very likely to do so by granting it; and, for similar reasons, you will not readily alienate people by being somewhat proud and carel

f you have occasion to converse with them frequently upon confidential matters, they soon come to fancy that they can take liberties with you, and so they try and transgress the laws of politeness. This is why there are so few with whom you care to become more intimate, and why you should avoid familiarity with vulgar

ll be no harm in occasionally mixing a grain of disdain with your treatment of them; that will make them value your friendship all the more. Chi non istima vien stimato, as a subtle Italian proverb has it-to disregard is to win

d a deficiency in the knowledge of men, more especially when they are young; with the result that it is easy to deceive or mislea

For, with the commoner sort of people, an antecedent notion means just their own selfish point of view. This is not the case with those whose mind and character are above the ordinary; for it is precisely in thi

intellectually so constituted that, if circumstances do not place you in relation with them, you had better get out of their way and keep as far as possible from having anything to do with them,-still, he will scarcely ever attain an a

e society of people whom he does not know, he will be surprised to find how thoroughly reasonable they all appear to be, both in their co

ool; do not mind what he says. But Nature goes to work like Shakespeare and Goethe, poets who make every one of their characters-even if it is the devil himself!-appear to be quite in the right for the moment that they come before us in their several parts; the characters are described so objectively that they excite our interest and compel us to sympathize with thei

as if he really were what he pretends to be; and since he makes his calculations always within the lines of his individual nature, the appearance he puts on suits him to a nicety, and its effect is extremely deceptive. He dons his mask whenever his object is to flatter

d opportunity of observing the boundless egoism of man's nature, and his total lack of consideration for others; and if these defects show themselves in small things, or merely in his general demeanor, you will find that they also underlie his action in matters of importance, although he may disguise the fact. This is an opportunity which should not be missed. If in the little affairs of every day,-the trifles of life, those matters to which the rule de minimis non applies,-a man is

upon his sense of justice, fairness, gratitude, fidelity, love or compassion, than to work upon his fears; but as

r without some notice; but we should nevertheless remember that we are thereby exposing ourselves to a repetition of the offence. If the answer is in the negative, we must break with our worthy friend at once and forever; or in the case of a servant, dismiss him. For he will inevitably repeat the offence, or do something tantamount to it, should the occasion return, even though for the moment he is deep and sincere in his assurances of the contrary.

forget means to throw away

portunity of doing precisely the very thing which brought about the breach; nay, he does it the more boldly, because he is secretly conscio

hort payment that the man must be still more short-sighted who accepts the bill without protesting it. Accordingly, suppose you want to know how a man will behave in an office into which you think of putting him; you should not build upon expectations, on his promises or assura

practical life, and vice versa. The experience thus gained will be very useful in avoiding wrong ideas, whether about yourself or about others. But if you come across any special trait of meanness or stupidity-in life or in literature,-you must be careful not to let it

l the way of the world! What are States and all the elaborate systems of political machinery, and the rule of force, whether in home or in foreign affairs,-what are they but barriers against the boundless iniquity of mankind? Does not all history show that whenever a king is firmly planted on a throne, and his people reach some degree of prosperity, he uses it to lead his army, like a ban

tter of robbery; and the German

ain general rules. But if this is carried too far, and a man tries to take on a character which is not natural or innate in him, but it artificially acquired and e

s furca, tamen

pair; and you need not fancy that as it is impossible to regulate your life in accordance with abstract ideas and maxims, it is better to live just as you please. Here, as in all theoretical instruction that aims at a practical

ts. It is just the same in other things; in learning to write and speak Latin, a man will forget the grammatical rules; it is only by long practice that a blockhead turns into a courtier, that a passionate man becomes shrewd and worldly-wise, or a frank person reserved, or a noble person ironical. But though self-discipline of this kind is the result of long habit, it always works by a sort of external compulsion,

everything that is unnatural is imperfect;-a rule of universal application, whether in the physical or in the moral sphere. The only exception I can th

is given to a brownish-colored glass much resembling it, which is manufactured at Mur

cial position, or whatever else it may be that a man boasts of, you may conclude by his boasting about it that that is precisely the direction in which he is rather weak; for if a man really possesses any faculty to the full, it will not occur to him to make a great show of affecting it; he is quite content to know that he has it. That is the application of the Spanish proverb: herradura que chacolotea clavo le falta-a clattering hoof means a nail gone. To be sure, as I said at first, no man ought to let the reins go quite loose, and show himself just as he is; for there are many evil and best

: De Clemen

rtcoming's and vices, but he is blind to his own. This arrangement has one advantage: it turns other people into a kind of mirror, in which a man can see clearly everything that is viciou

justice, or at any rate enough pride and vanity, to avoid in their own case that which they condemn so harshly elsewhere. But tolerant people are just the opposite, and claim for themselves the same indulgence that they extend to others-hanc veniam damus petimusque vicissim. It is all very well for the Bibl

olly in these matters, you will imitate it. That is just why literary follies have such vogue in Germany. The

and the alliances to which these relations lead, are at bottom and essentially, ideal in their nature; that is

and character which have been assigned him in the conventional arrangements of life, where he is ticketed and treated as so much goods. Reference to what he is in himself, as a man-to the measure of his own personal qualities-is never made unless for convenience' sake: and so that view of a man is something exceptional, to be set aside and ignored, the moment that anyone finds it disagreeable; and this is what usuall

is the place of true esteem and genuine friendship, you have the outward appe

rve the true coin. For my own part, I should certainly pay more respect to an h

turn means an absolute identification of self with the object of friendship. The egoism of human nature is so strongly antagonistic to any such sympathy, that true fr

hat selfishness can take. But in a world where all is imperfect, this grain of true feeling is such an ennobling influence that it gives some warrant for calling those relations by the name of friendship, for they st

thought is that of true and sincere sympathy for you; or else the absolute composure of his countenance, or the passing trace of something other than sympathy, will confirm the well-known maxim of La Rochefoucauld: Dans l'adversite de nos meilleurs amis, nous trouvons toujours quelque chose qui ne nous deplait pas. Indeed, at such a moment, the ordin

of years, and they become abstract notions; so that our interest in them grows to be more and more intellectual,-nay, it is kept up only as a kind of tradition; whilst we retain a lively and deep interest in those who are

ist eine m?c

1: Act i

se they are friends of the house rather than of its ma

emies are really so. Let your enemies' censure be like a

, it is just the contrary; no sooner have you made

exhibiting intelligence and discernment. With the immense majority of people, such qualities excite hatred and resentment, which are

d perceives that the person with whom he is conve

ethe's youth. The former says: There is nothing by which a man exasperates most people more, than by displaying a superior ability of brillia

od of reasoning-an enthymeme-which rouses the bitterest feelings of sullen and rancorous hatred. And so Gracian is quite right in saying that the only way to win

l chiefly with the observation of character in the various phenomena of life. Schopenhauer, among others, had a great admiration for his worldly philosophy, and transl

gly rash thing to let any one see that you are decidedly superior to him in this respect, and to let other people see it too; because he will then thirst for vengeance, and generally look about for an opportunity of taking it by means of insult, because this is to pass from the sphere of intellect to that of will-and there, all are on an equal footing as regards the feeling of hostility. Hence, while rank and riches may always reckon upon deferential treatment in society, that is something which intellectual ability can never expect; to be ignored is the greatest favor shown to it; and if people notice it at all, it is because they regard it

g, as instinctively as he will approach the fireplace or walk in the sun if he wants to get warm. But this means that he will be disliked on account of his superiority; and if a man is to be liked, he must really b

a pretext which will blind both himself and other people to the real reason why he likes them. This is also why mental superiority of any sort always tends to isolate its possessor; people run away from him out of pure hatred, and say all manner of bad things about him by way of justifying their action. Beauty, in the case of women, has a similar effect: very pretty girls have no friends of their own sex, and they even find it hard to get another girl to keep them company. A handsome woman should always avoid applying for a position

latter those who have very little, and from whom, on that account, the possession of great ability should be carefully concealed. The consciousness of small intellectual power has just the opposite effect,

nay, even for reputation in the world of science, literature and art. In learned societies, for example, mediocrity-that very ac

ng inquiries ourselves, and exercising an active care, we prefer to trust others; selfishness, because we are led to confide in people by the pressure of our own affair

ns that they pay honesty the sincere compliment of regarding it as a very rare thing,-

ons in my Ethics; the other is as follows:-Politeness is a tacit agreement that people's miserable defects, whether moral or intellectual, shall on either si

matic attempt to mask the egoism of human nature in the small affairs of life,-an egoism so repulsive that some such device is necessary for the purpose of concealing its ugliness. The r

false coin, with which it is foolish to be stingy. A sensible man will be generous in the use of it. It is customary in every country to end a letter with the words:-your most obedient servant-votre très-humble serviteur-suo devotissimo se

l take any shape you please. In the same way, by being polite and friendly, you can make people pliable and obligin

as most people deserve none at all; and again in so far as it demands that we should feign the most lively interest in people

ad arrived at any clear notion of the judgment which, in his heart, one man generally passes upon another. If most people resent the slightest hint that any blame attaches to them, you may imagine their feelings if they were to overhear what their acquaintance say about them. You should never lose sight of the fact that ordinary polit

ke, and difference of character gives a peculiar, individual tone to what a man does. Hence duo cum faciunt idem, non est idem-two persons may do the sam

e dispensed with in practical matters: otherwise

reached the age of Methuselah, you would never have done se

rsation, however good your intentions may be; for it is easy t

onversation you happen to overhear, you should imagine that you a

s really going to instruct in matters of the highest impor

t of will, and not the outcome of knowledge, which is in its nature cold and unimpassioned. Since the will is the primary and radical element in human nature, and intellect merely supervenes as something secondary, peo

ommon, and merit so very uncommon, that even if a man appears to be praising himself, though very indirectly, people will be ready to

calumny, if you throw enough dirt, some of it will stick, so it it also in regard to se

de calumnia, audacter calumniare, semper aliquid haeret; sic dici potest de jactantia, (nisi plane deformis fuerit et ridicula), audacter te vendita, sempe

ok as though you believed every word he said. This will give him courage to go o

success, look as though you did not believe him, This opposition on your part will provoke him int

you are on good terms with them, as perfect strangers, letting them know nothing more than they can see for themselves. For in cou

tter of prudence, whilst speech has something in it of vanity. The opportunities for displaying the one or the other quality occur

t it grow into a habit; for in this way thought establishes such very friendly terms with speech, that conversation is apt t

olutely impossible to believe it any more. We often betray ourselves into revealing something, simply because we suppose that people cannot help noticing it,-just as a man will throw himself down from a great height because he loses his he

or otherwise indicating the persons to whom you refer, you should be very careful not to introduce into your narrative anything that might point, however distantly, to some definite fact, whether it is a particular locality, or a date, or the name of some one who was only to a small extent implicated, or anything else that was even remotely connected with the event; for that at once gives people something positiv

nt in commending the practice of silence, and assign manifold reasons why it should be observed; so it is not necessary for me to enlarge u

nything that you would

keep it; but should it escape

ence bears the

antage as when you have been cheated out of it;

of his value,-at any rate in regard to yourself,-and regulate your bearing towards him accordingly; never losing sight of the fact that character is unalterable, and that to f

and believe nothing, the other half. Truly, a world where there is need of such

red by what you say or by the way you look, is an unnecess

s will be all the more effective in action, in so far as you avoid the exhibition

hat you have said; and as their minds are slow, you can make your escape in time. On the other hand, to emphasize your meaning-parler avec accent-is to address their feelings; and the result is alway