Devilish Quote by Arthur Schopenhauer
“To feel envy is human, to savour schadenfreude is devilish”
About This Quote
Source Philosophical Essay: The World as Will and Representation, 1818
Envy is a natural human feeling, while taking pleasure in others’ misfortune (schadenfreude) is a morally negative, base impulse.
In simple terms: Envy is human; schadenfreude is immoral.
Key Takeaway
Avoid reveling in others’ suffering.
Themes
ethics
human nature
emotion
morality
Mood
thoughtful
critical
Type
philosophical
reflective
When to use this quote
- workplace competition
- social media
- personal relationships
- sports rivalries
- political discourse
Key Concepts
psychology
philosophy
social dynamics
Questions to Reflect On
- Why do we feel pleasure at others’ loss?
- How can we transform envy into motivation?
A Different Perspective
Schadenfreude can damage empathy and community.
![“[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)
