Bounds Quote by Arthur Schopenhauer
“There is only one inborn erroneous notion that we exist in order to be happy So long as we persist in this inborn error the world seems to us full of contradictions. For at every step, in great things and small, we are bound to experience that the world and life are certainly not arranged for the purpose of maintaining a happy existence hence the countenances of almost all elderly persons wear the expression of disappointment.”
About This Quote
Source Philosophy: The World as Will and Representation, Arthur Schopenhauer, 1818
Human pursuit of happiness is flawed; life inherently contains suffering and contradictions.
In simple terms: Happiness is not life's purpose.
Key Takeaway
Accept life's contradictions, seek meaning beyond happiness.
Themes
philosophy
existentialism
human nature
suffering
Mood
reflective
somber
Type
philosophical
inspirational
When to use this quote
- aging
- coping with disappointment
- philosophical reflection
- mental health
Key Concepts
will
representation
illusion of happiness
Questions to Reflect On
- What gives your life meaning beyond happiness?
- How do you handle inevitable disappointments?
A Different Perspective
Happiness can still be a valuable goal despite its limits.
![“[I]n other words, we should live with due knowledge of the course of things in the world. For whenever a man in any way loses self-control, or is struck down by a misfortune, grows angry, or loses heart, he shows in this way that he finds things different from what he expected, and consequently…” quote by Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/6af/arthur-schopenhauer-226_every-step_i-n-other-words-we-should-live-with-due_3042458.jpg)
![“[T]he appropriate form of address between man and man ought to be, not monsieur, sir, but fellow sufferer, compagnon de miseres.” quote by Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/be6/arthur-schopenhauer-226_addresses_t-he-appropriate-form-of-address-between_32897.jpg)
![“[Materialism] seeks the primary and most simple state of matter, and then tries to develop all the others from it; ascending from mere mechanism, to chemism, to polarity, to the vegetable and to the animal kingdom. And if we suppose this to have been done, the last link in the chain would be…” quote by Arthur Schopenhauer](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/88c/arthur-schopenhauer-226_animal-kingdom_materialism-seeks-the-primary-and-most-s_50402.jpg)
