On the 2 obstacles of human happiness, the achievement society and more
On the 2 obstacles of human happiness, the achievement society and more
4 new ideas on smarter living
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Arthur Schopenhauer: The two obstacles of human happiness
Arthur Schopenhauer was a German philosopher who believed that the pursuit of happiness is the primary motivation for almost all human behaviour.
Schopenhauer’s most famous work and the pinnacle of Schopenhauer’s philosophical thought, “The World as Will and Representation”, is divided into two volumes. The first volume focuses on the world as a representation or idea; it explains how we can understand the world and our own minds through the ideas of space, time, causality and numbers.
The second volume explores the world as will; it looks at how we experience the will in ourselves by observing all actions as stemming from either desires or fears — from our own willing or willing not to do something.
Schopenhauer believed that recognizing this truth helped us overcome suffering and live lives in which we are comfortable with who we are.
He is known for his pessimistic view of the world and his belief that our happiness is directly proportional to our willingness to accept reality, rather than continuing to search for ways to ignore it.
Life is essentially painful, filled with suffering and hardship, he said. He thought the greatest suffering came from being aware of this unavoidable truth about existence.
Moreover, since this world is ultimately based on irrational will rather than reason or justice, there can be no final resolution to our problems.
The best we can do is remove ourselves from the strife of life by becoming ascetic hermits who renounce worldly pursuits. You can find peace from within by reducing your desire for external things.
Schopenhauer believed that people are motivated by their own self-interest and can never be truly happy unless they recognize this fact. His life’s work centred on analyzing human behaviour and helping people achieve self-awareness to live more fulfilled lives.
The ideas expressed in his writings are as relevant today as they were 200 years ago. In fact, many of Schopenhauer’s ideas have been used by today’s self-help gurus and authors of famous best-selling books on happiness and living your best life.
Schopenhauer believed that the pursuit of pleasure is not enough to achieve happiness; instead, he argued that by focusing on our own will to live and fulfil our potential as humans, we could achieve lasting contentment.
Schopenhauer believed that most people are doomed to lead miserable lives because they follow false ideals when pursuing happiness.
People mistakenly think that external things like money, fame and success will make them happy. So they invest their time and energy in working hard to obtain these things, but as Schopenhauer observed, this almost never works out as planned.
Instead of leading to happiness, all of these things cause even more unhappiness because they’re fleeting and don’t have any real value other than their temporary pleasure or ego-boosting effects.
Pain and boredom
In his long on the “Wisdom of Life,” Arthur Schopenhauer analyzes suffering, pain and evil as a call to action. The two greatest enemies of human happiness are pain and boredom he says. Schopenhauer explains:
“The most general survey shows us that the two foes of human happiness are pain and boredom. We may go further, and say that in the degree in which we are fortunate enough to get away from the one, we approach the other. Life presents, in fact, a more or less violent oscillation between the two.
The reason of this is that each of these two poles stands in a double antagonism to the other, external or objective, and inner or subjective. Needy surroundings and poverty produce pain; while, if a man is more than well off, he is bored. Accordingly, while the lower classes are engaged in a ceaseless struggle with need, in other words, with pain, the upper carry on a constant and often desperate battle with boredom.”
Through our first-hand experience with life’s difficulties, we can embrace our challenges rather than shy from them, he observed. By doing so, we are able to improve ourselves and become wiser human beings.
Schopenhauer says that most people in their everyday life remain unconscious because they follow what is instinctive and comfortable for them. They will remain in this state unless something bad or painful happens to them. When that happens, they are forced to look at things differently and see through the veil of naivety they had before.
To overcome the many miseries of life, find events, activities and experiences that bring out the best in you. Double down on what makes you come alive and reduce experiences that make you miserable.
“And of all these, the one which makes us the most directly happy is a genial flow of good spirits; for this excellent quality is its own immediate reward,” says Schopenhauer. Happiness is an inside job.
“The more a man finds his sources of pleasure in himself — the happier he will be. Therefore, it is with great truth that Aristotle says, To be happy means to be self-sufficient,” writes Schopenhauer in his essay, The Wisdom of Life.
“For all other sources of happiness are in their nature most uncertain, precarious, fleeting, the sport of chance; and so even under the most favorable circumstances they can easily be exhausted; nay, this is unavoidable, because they are not always within reach,” he says.
Happiness or minimising pain in life starts with taking responsibility for your life and giving less power to external circumstances to make you happy. And figuring out ways to interpret negative events in a way that doesn’t distress you for too long. And always remember something to do that makes you come alive and something to look forward to almost every day can minimise the pain of life and reduce boredom in life.
Food for thought
11 Foolproof Ways to Start a Conversation [Time]
"What's the most interesting thing you've learned recently?" This question is open-ended and inviting—and can lead to fascinating follow-ups, says Erica Thomas, who hosts supper club events in Atlanta and is the founder of the website Eating With Erica. “It works wonders at networking events, parties, and even when you’re simply chatting with friends or acquaintances,” she says. Thomas especially likes that it draws people into discussions about their passions and curiosities, helping foster an exchange of ideas. When she used it at one of her dinner parties, for example, it prompted a discussion about travel to Europe—which led to deeper conversations about life lessons, change, and spontaneity.
Time and the Soul: Philosopher Jacob Needleman on Our Search for Meaning [The Marginalian]
It is the elementary particle of presence and the fundamental unit of attention — the two most precious resources we have, out of which every meaningful experiences is welded. To give a practice your time is an act of devotion. To give a person your time is a supreme act of love — for, as Thich Nhat Hanh wrote, “when you love someone, the best thing you can offer that person is your presence.”
The achievement society is burning us out, we need more play [Psyche]
For the Korean German philosopher Byung-Chul Han, contemporary capitalist society has become an ‘achievement society’ and we, as its subjects, have become ‘achievement-subjects’. In the achievement society, we suffer from an internalised pressure to achieve – to do more, to be more, to have more. Whether we are aware of it or not, we have internalised the capitalist work ethic to the degree that our successes and failures weigh heavily on our individual shoulders.
A Journey Toward Overcoming The Procrastination Habit [Ivaylo Durmonski]
Productivity is not our default state. In fact, my observation as a person who has lived for more than 30 years is that we are genetically predisposed to delay stuff. To postpone. To avoid tasks that are seemingly hard and glue ourselves to our comfort zone – never pushing against the wall to go outside the cushy bubble we’ve created for ourselves.
4 ideas on smarter living
A question worth asking:
I recently found myself asking: ‘Is that your gut talking or your mind?’ I value my intuition quite a bit and under the lens of trying to listen better, this question helps me figure out when past experiences are hindering me from taking risks that I may be very well equipped to handle.
A concept worth understanding:
Integral thinking – developed by philosopher Ken Wilber – is a meta-theory that integrates different ways of thinking. It invites us to shift from ‘is X right or wrong?’ to ‘under what circumstances (if any) is X useful’?
A question worth asking:
‘What experience would you enjoy more?’ Since we can’t beta-test major life choices, we need heuristics on what to do. Although there’s more to life than hedonism, choosing a path that leads to more enjoyment and happiness is surely a sound principle.
A saying worth repeating:
‘Be curious, not judgemental.’ We are wired to try to explain the world around us. When lacking obvious explanations, most of us quickly jump to conclusions before getting the complete picture. It is always better to ask than to assume.
Tools for life/career
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Thanks for reading!
Until next week,
Thomas
Medium | Thinking Toolbox | The Write Life | How to Live: Lessons in Stoicism
Postanly Weekly is now a reader-supported publication. To support my work, you can upgrade to a paid subscription for $7 per month or $40 for an entire year. With a modest yearly contribution you’re not only helping keep Postanly Weekly going, you also get free access to Thinking Toolbox (mental models for life) and Mental Wealth Toolbox (practical concepts for smarter decisions).