Counsels And Maxims - free ebook by Arthur Schopenhauer

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Counsels And Maxims

Arthur Schopenhauer

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Introduction.

Introduction.

If my object in these pages were to present a complete scheme of counsels and maxims for the guidance of life, I should have to repeat the numerous rules—some of them excellent—which have been drawn up by thinkers of all ages, from Theognis and Solomon 1 down to La Rochefoucauld; and, in so doing, I should inevitably entail upon the reader a vast amount of well-worn commonplace. But the fact is that in this work I make still less claim to exhaust my subject than in any other of my writings. Note

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Section 1.

Section 1.

The first and foremost rule for the wise conduct of life seems to me to be contained in a view to which Aristotle parenthetically refers in the Nichomachean Ethics : 2 [Greek: o phronimoz to alupon dioke e ou to aedu] or, as it may be rendered, not pleasure, but freedom from pain, is what the wise man will aim at . Note --&gt; 2 ( return ) [ vii. (12) 12.] The truth of this remark turns upon the negative character of happiness,—the fact that pleasure is only the negation of pain, and that pa

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Section 2. To Estimate A Man's Condition In Regard To Happiness, It Is

Section 2. To Estimate A Man's Condition In Regard To Happiness, It Is

necessary to ask, not what things please him, but what things trouble him; and the more trivial these things are in themselves, the happier the man will be. To be irritated by trifles, a man must be well off; for in misfortunes trifles are unfelt....

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Section 3. Care Should Be Taken Not To Build The Happiness Of Life

Section 3. Care Should Be Taken Not To Build The Happiness Of Life

upon a broad foundation —not to require a great many things in order to be happy. For happiness on such a foundation is the most easily undermined; it offers many more opportunities for accidents; and accidents are always happening. The architecture of happiness follows a plan in this respect just the opposite of that adopted in every other case, where the broadest foundation offers the greatest security. Accordingly, to reduce your claims to the lowest possible degree, in comparison with your m

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Section 4.

Section 4.

The mason employed on the building of a house may be quite ignorant of its general design; or at any rate, he may not keep it constantly in mind. So it is with man: in working through the days and hours of his life, he takes little thought of its character as a whole. If there is any merit or importance attaching to a man's career, if he lays himself out carefully for some special work, it is all the more necessary and advisable for him to turn his attention now and then to its plan , that is to

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Section 5. Another Important Element In The Wise Conduct Of Life Is To

Section 5. Another Important Element In The Wise Conduct Of Life Is To

preserve a proper proportion between our thought for the present and our thought for the future; in order not to spoil the one by paying over-great attention to the other. Many live too long in the present—frivolous people, I mean; others, too much in the future, ever anxious and full of care. It is seldom that a man holds the right balance between the two extremes. Those who strive and hope and live only in the future, always looking ahead and impatiently anticipating what is coming, as somethi

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Section 6. Limitations Always Make For Happiness. We Are Happy In

Section 6. Limitations Always Make For Happiness. We Are Happy In

proportion as our range of vision, our sphere of work, our points of contact with the world, are restricted and circumscribed. We are more likely to feel worried and anxious if these limits are wide; for it means that our cares, desires and terrors are increased and intensified. That is why the blind are not so unhappy as we might be inclined to suppose; otherwise there would not be that gentle and almost serene expression of peace in their faces. Another reason why limitation makes for happines

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Section 7. Whether We Are In A Pleasant Or A Painful State Depends,

Section 7. Whether We Are In A Pleasant Or A Painful State Depends,

ultimately, upon the kind of matter that pervades and engrosses our consciousness. In this respect, purely intellectual occupation, for the mind that is capable of it, will, as a rule, do much more in the way of happiness than any form of practical life, with its constant alternations of success and failure, and all the shocks and torments it produces. But it must be confessed that for such occupation a pre-eminent amount of intellectual capacity is necessary. And in this connection it may be no

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Section 8. To Live A Life That Shall Be Entirely Prudent And Discreet,

Section 8. To Live A Life That Shall Be Entirely Prudent And Discreet,

and to draw from experience all the instruction it contains, it is requisite to be constantly thinking back,—to make a kind of recapitulation of what we have done, of our impressions and sensations, to compare our former with our present judgments—what we set before us and struggle to achieve, with the actual result and satisfaction we have obtained. To do this is to get a repetition of the private lessons of experience,—lessons which are given to every one. Experience of the world may be looked

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Section 9. To Be Self-Sufficient, To Be All In All To Oneself, To

Section 9. To Be Self-Sufficient, To Be All In All To Oneself, To

want for nothing, to be able to say omnia mea mecum porto —that is assuredly the chief qualification for happiness. Hence Aristotle's remark, [Greek: hae eudaimonia ton autarchon esti] 14 —to be happy means to be self-sufficient—cannot be too often repeated. It is, at bottom, the same thought as is present in the very well-turned sentence from Chamfort: Le bonheur n'est pas chose aisée: il est très difficile de le trouver en nous, et impossible de le trouver ailleurs . Note --&gt; 14 ( retur

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Section 10. Envy Is Natural To Man; And Still, It Is At Once A Vice

Section 10. Envy Is Natural To Man; And Still, It Is At Once A Vice

and a source of misery. 22 We should treat it as the enemy of our happiness, and stifle it like an evil thought. This is the advice given by Seneca; as he well puts it, we shall be pleased with what we have, if we avoid the self-torture of comparing our own lot with some other and happier one—nostra nos sine comparatione delectent; nunquam erit felix quem torquebit felicior. 23 And again, quum adspexeris quot te antecedent, cogita quot sequantur 24 —if a great many people appear to be better off

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Section 11. Give Mature And Repeated Consideration To Any Plan Before

Section 11. Give Mature And Repeated Consideration To Any Plan Before

you proceed to carry it out; and even after you have thoroughly turned it over in your mind, make some concession to the incompetency of human judgment; for it may always happen that circumstances which cannot be investigated or foreseen, will come in and upset the whole of your calculation. This is a reflection that will always influence the negative side of the balance—a kind of warning to refrain from unnecessary action in matters of importance—quieta non movere. But having once made up your

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Section 12.

Section 12.

In the case of a misfortune which has already happened and therefore cannot be altered, you should not allow yourself to think that it might have been otherwise; still less, that it might have been avoided by such and such means; for reflections of this kind will only add to your distress and make it intolerable, so that you will become a tormentor to yourself—[Greek: heautontimoroumeaeos]. It is better to follow the example of King David; who, as long as his son lay on the bed of sickness, assa

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Section 13. In All Matters Affecting Our Weal Or Woe, We Should Be

Section 13. In All Matters Affecting Our Weal Or Woe, We Should Be

careful not to let our imagination run away with us, and build no castles in the air. In the first place, they are expensive to build, because we have to pull them down again immediately, and that is a source of grief. We should be still more on our guard against distressing our hearts by depicting possible misfortunes. If these were misfortunes of a purely imaginary kind, or very remote and unlikely, we should at once see, on awaking from our dream, that the whole thing was mere illusion; we sh

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Section 14. The Sight Of Things Which Do Not Belong To Us Is Very Apt

Section 14. The Sight Of Things Which Do Not Belong To Us Is Very Apt

to raise the thought: Ah, if that were only mine ! making us sensible of our privation. Instead of that we should do better by more frequently putting to ourselves the opposite case: Ah, if that were not mine . What I mean is that we should sometimes try to look upon our possessions in the light in which they would appear if we had lost them; whatever they may be, property, health, friends, a wife or child or someone else we love, our horse or our dog—it is usually only when we have lost them th

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Section 15. The Things Which Engage Our Attention—Whether They Are

Section 15. The Things Which Engage Our Attention—Whether They Are

matters of business or ordinary events—are of such diverse kinds, that, if taken quite separately and in no fixed order or relation, they present a medley of the most glaring contrasts, with nothing in common, except that they one and all affect us in particular. There must be a corresponding abruptness in the thoughts and anxieties which these various matters arouse in us, if our thoughts are to be in keeping with their various subjects. Therefore, in setting about anything, the first step is t

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Section 16. We Must Set Limits To Our Wishes, Curb Our Desires,

Section 16. We Must Set Limits To Our Wishes, Curb Our Desires,

moderate our anger, always remembering that an individual can attain only an infinitesimal share in anything that is worth having; and that, on the other hand, everyone must incur many of the ills of life; in a word, we must bear and forbear—abstinere et sustinere ; and if we fail to observe this rule, no position of wealth or power will prevent us from feeling wretched. This is what Horace means when he recommends us to study carefully and inquire diligently what will best promote a tranquil li

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Section 17. Life Consists In Movement, Says Aristotle; And He Is

Section 17. Life Consists In Movement, Says Aristotle; And He Is

obviously right. We exist, physically, because our organism is the seat of constant motion; and if we are to exist intellectually, it can only be by means of continual occupation—no matter with what so long as it is some form of practical or mental activity. You may see that this is so by the way in which people who have no work or nothing to think about, immediately begin to beat the devil's tattoo with their knuckles or a stick or anything that comes handy. The truth is, that our nature is ess

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Section 18. A Man Should Avoid Being Led On By The Phantoms Of His

Section 18. A Man Should Avoid Being Led On By The Phantoms Of His

imagination. This is not the same thing as to submit to the guidance of ideas clearly thought out: and yet these are rules of life which most people pervert. If you examine closely into the circumstances which, in any deliberation, ultimately turn the scale in favor of some particular course, you will generally find that the decision is influenced, not by any clear arrangement of ideas leading to a formal judgment, but by some fanciful picture which seems to stand for one of the alternatives in

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Section 19. The Preceding Rule May Be Taken As A Special Case Of The

Section 19. The Preceding Rule May Be Taken As A Special Case Of The

more general maxim, that a man should never let himself be mastered by the impressions of the moment, or indeed by outward appearances at all, which are incomparably more powerful in their effects than the mere play of thought or a train of ideas; not because these momentary impressions are rich in virtue of the data they supply,—it is often just the contrary,—but because they are something palpable to the senses and direct in their working; they forcibly invade our mind, disturbing our repose a

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Section 20. In The First Part Of This Work I Have Insisted Upon The

Section 20. In The First Part Of This Work I Have Insisted Upon The

great value of health as the chief and most important element in happiness. Let me emphasize and confirm what I have there said by giving a few general rules as to its preservation. The way to harden the body is to impose a great deal of labor and effort upon it in the days of good health,—to exercise it, both as a whole and in its several parts, and to habituate it to withstand all kinds of noxious influences. But on the appearance of an illness or disorder, either in the body as a whole or in

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Chapter III. — Our Relation To Others.—

Chapter III. — Our Relation To Others.—

SECTION 21. In making his way through life, a man will find it useful to be ready and able to do two things: to look ahead and to overlook: the one will protect him from loss and injury, the other from disputes and squabbles. No one who has to live amongst men should absolutely discard any person who has his due place in the order of nature, even though he is very wicked or contemptible or ridiculous. He must accept him as an unalterable fact—unalterable, because the necessary outcome of an eter

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Section 22. It Is Astonishing How Easily And How Quickly Similarity,

Section 22. It Is Astonishing How Easily And How Quickly Similarity,

or difference of mind and disposition, makes itself felt between one man and another as soon as they begin to talk: every little trifle shows it. When two people of totally different natures 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 neither of the parties has any real interest. People of similar natur

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Section 23. No Man Can See Over His Own Height. Let Me Explain What

Section 23. No Man Can See Over His Own Height. Let Me Explain What

I mean. You cannot see in another man any more than you have in yourself; and your own intelligence strictly determines the extent to which he comes within its grasp. If your intelligence is of a very low order, mental qualities 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 character and disposition which are weak and defective.

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Section 24. I Feel Respect For The Man—And He Is One In A

Section 24. I Feel Respect For The Man—And He Is One In A

hundred—who, when he is waiting or sitting unoccupied, refrains from rattling or beating time with anything that happens to be handy,—his stick, or knife and fork, or whatever else it may be. The probability is that he is thinking of something. With a large number of people, it is quite evident that their power of sight completely dominates over their power of thought; they seem to be conscious of existence only when they are making a noise; unless indeed they happen to be smoking, for this serv

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Section 25. La Rochefoucauld Makes The Striking Remark That It Is

Section 25. La Rochefoucauld Makes The Striking Remark That It Is

difficult to feel deep veneration and great affection for one and the same person. If this is so, we shall have to choose whether it is veneration or love that we want from our fellow-men. Their love is always selfish, though in very different ways; and the means used to gain it are not always of a kind to make us proud. A man is loved by others mainly in the degree in which he moderates his claim on their good feeling and intelligence: but he must act genuinely in the matter and without dissimu

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Section 26. Most Men Are So Thoroughly Subjective That Nothing Really

Section 26. Most Men Are So Thoroughly Subjective That Nothing Really

interests them but themselves. They always think of their own case as soon as ever any remark is made, and their whole attention is engrossed and absorbed by the merest chance reference to anything which affects them personally, be it never so remote: with the result that they have no power left for forming an objective view of things, should the conversation take that turn; neither can they admit any validity in arguments which tell against their interest or their vanity. Hence their attention

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Section 27. When Any Wrong Statement Is Made, Whether In Public Or

Section 27. When Any Wrong Statement Is Made, Whether In Public Or

in society, or in books, and well received—or, at any rate, not refuted—that that is no reason why you should despair or think there the matter will 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 generally in the end the correct view will be reached; so that, after a time—the length of which will depend upon the difficulty of the subjec

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Section 28. Men Are Like Children, In That, If You Spoil Them, They

Section 28. Men Are Like Children, In That, If You Spoil Them, They

become naughty. Therefore it is well not to be too indulgent or charitable with anyone. You may take it as a general rule that you will not lose a friend by refusing him a 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 careless in your behaviour; but if you are very kind and complaisant towards them, you will often make them arrogant and intolerable, and so a breach will ensue. There is one th

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Section 29. It Is Often The Case That People Of Noble Character And

Section 29. It Is Often The Case That People Of Noble Character And

great mental gifts betray a strange lack of worldly wisdom and a deficiency in the knowledge of men, more especially when they are young; with the result that it is easy to deceive or mislead them; and that, on the other hand, natures of the commoner sort are more ready and successful in making their way in the world. The reason of this is that, when a man has little or no experience, he must judge by his own antecedent notions; and in matters demanding judgment, an antecedent notion is never on

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Section 30. No Man Is So Formed That He Can Be Left Entirely To

Section 30. No Man Is So Formed That He Can Be Left Entirely To

himself, to go his own ways; everyone needs to be guided by a preconceived plan, and to follow certain 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 evolved merely by a process of reasoning, he will very soon discover that Nature cannot be forced, and that if you drive it out, it will return despite your efforts:— To understand a rule governing conduct towards others, even to discover

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Section 31. A Man Bears The Weight Of His Own Body Without Knowing It,

Section 31. A Man Bears The Weight Of His Own Body Without Knowing It,

but he soon feels the weight of any other, if he tries to move it; in the same way, a man can see other people's shortcoming'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 vicious, faulty, ill-bred and loathsome in his own nature; only, it is generally the old story of the dog barking at is own image; it is himself that he sees and not another dog, as he fancies. He who cr

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Section 32. When He Is Young, A Man Of Noble Character Fancies That

Section 32. When He Is Young, A Man Of Noble Character Fancies That

the relations prevailing amongst mankind, and the alliances to which these relations lead, are at bottom and essentially, ideal in their nature; that is to say, that they rest upon similarity of disposition or sentiment, or taste, or intellectual power, and so on. But, later on, he finds out that it is a real foundation which underlies these alliances; that they are based upon some material interest. This is the true foundation of almost all alliances: nay, most men have no notion of an alliance

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Section 33. As Paper-Money Circulates In The World Instead Of Real

Section 33. As Paper-Money Circulates In The World Instead Of Real

coin, so, is the place of true esteem and genuine friendship, you have the outward appearance of it—a mimic show made to look as much like the real thing as possible. On the other hand, it may be asked whether there are any people who really deserve the true coin. For my own part, I should certainly pay more respect to an honest dog wagging his tail than to a hundred such demonstrations of human regard. True and genuine friendship presupposes a strong sympathy with the weal and woe of another—pu

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Section 34. A Man Must Be Still A Greenhorn In The Ways Of The

Section 34. A Man Must Be Still A Greenhorn In The Ways Of The

world, if he imagines that he can make himself popular in society by exhibiting intelligence and discernment. With the immense majority of people, such qualities excite hatred and resentment, which are rendered all the harder to bear by the fact that people are obliged to suppress—even from themselves—the real reason of their anger. What actually takes place is this. A man feels and perceives that the person with whom he is conversing is intellectually very much his superior. 40 Note --&gt;

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Section 35. Our Trust In Other People Often Consists In Great Measure

Section 35. Our Trust In Other People Often Consists In Great Measure

of pure laziness, selfishness and vanity on our own part: I say laziness , because, instead of making 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 affairs; and vanity , when we ask confidence for a matter on which we rather pride ourselves. And yet, for all that, we expect people to be true to the trust we repose in them. But we ought not to become angry if people put no trust in us

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Section 36. Politeness,—Which The Chinese Hold To Be A Cardinal

Section 36. Politeness,—Which The Chinese Hold To Be A Cardinal

virtue,—is based upon two considerations of policy. I have explained one of these considerations 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 side be ignored and not made the subject of reproach; and since these defects are thus rendered somewhat less obtrusive, the result is mutually advantageous. 43 Note --&gt; 43 ( return ) [ Translator's Note .—In the passage referred to (Grundlage

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Section 37. You Ought Never To Take Any Man As A Model For What You

Section 37. You Ought Never To Take Any Man As A Model For What You

should do or leave undone; because position and circumstances are in no two cases alike, 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 same thing with a different result. A man should act in accordance with his own character, as soon as he has carefully deliberated on what he is about to do. The outcome of this is that originality cannot be dispensed with in practical matters: otherwise, what a m

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Section 38. Never Combat Any Man's Opinion; For Though You Reached The

Section 38. Never Combat Any Man's Opinion; For Though You Reached The

age of Methuselah, you would never have done setting him right upon all the absurd things that he believes. It is also well to avoid correcting people's mistakes in conversation, however good your intentions may be; for it is easy to offend people, and difficult, if not impossible, to mend them. If you feel irritated by the absurd remarks of two people whose conversation you happen to overhear, you should imagine that you are listening to a dialogue of two fools in a comedy. Probatum est. The ma

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Section 39. If You Want Your Judgment To Be Accepted, Express It

Section 39. If You Want Your Judgment To Be Accepted, Express It

coolly and without passion. All violence has its seat in the will ; and so, if your judgment is expressed with vehemence, people will consider it an effort 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, people are more likely to believe that the opinion you express with so much vehemence is due to the excited state of your will, rat

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Section 40. Even When You Are Fully Justified In Praising Yourself,

Section 40. Even When You Are Fully Justified In Praising Yourself,

you should never be seduced into doing so. For vanity is so very common, and merit so very uncommon, that even if a man appears to be praising himself, though very indirectly, people will be ready to lay a hundred to one that he is talking out of pure vanity, and that he has not sense enough to see what a fool he is making of himself. Still, for all that, there may be some truth in Bacon's remark that, as in the case of calumny, if you throw enough dirt, some of it will stick, so it it also in r

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Section 41. If You Have Reason To Suspect That A Person Is Telling You

Section 41. If You Have Reason To Suspect That A Person Is Telling You

a lie, look as though you believed every word he said. This will give him courage to go on; he will become more vehement in his assertions, and in the end betray himself. Again, if you perceive that a person is trying to conceal something from you, but with only partial success, look as though you did not believe him, This opposition on your part will provoke him into leading out his reserve of truth and bringing the whole force of it to bear upon your incredulity....

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Section 42. You Should Regard All Your Private Affairs As Secrets,

Section 42. You Should Regard All Your Private Affairs As Secrets,

and, in respect of them, treat your acquaintances, even though you are on good terms with them, as perfect strangers, letting them know nothing more than they can see for themselves. For in course of time, and under altered circumstances, you may find it a disadvantage that they know even the most harmless things about you. And, as a general rule, it is more advisable to show your intelligence by saying nothing than by speaking out; for silence is a matter of prudence, whilst speech has somethin

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Section 43. Money Is Never Spent To So Much Advantage As When You Have

Section 43. Money Is Never Spent To So Much Advantage As When You Have

been cheated out of it; for at one stroke you have purchased prudence....

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Section 44. If Possible, No Animosity Should Be Felt For Anyone. But

Section 44. If Possible, No Animosity Should Be Felt For Anyone. But

carefully observe and remember the manner in which a man conducts himself, so that you may take the measure 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 forget the bad features in a man's disposition is like throwing away hard-won money. Thus you will protect yourself against the results of unwise intimacy and foolish friendship. Give way neither to love nor to hate ,

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Section 45. To Speak Angrily To A Person, To Show Your Hatred By

Section 45. To Speak Angrily To A Person, To Show Your Hatred By

what you say or by the way you look, is an unnecessary proceeding—dangerous, foolish, ridiculous, and vulgar. Anger and hatred should never be shown otherwise than in what you do; and feelings will be all the more effective in action, in so far as you avoid the exhibition of them in any other way. It is only cold-blooded animals whose bite is poisonous....

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Section 46. To Speak Without Emphasizing Your Words—Parler Sans

Section 46. To Speak Without Emphasizing Your Words—Parler Sans

accent —is an old rule with those who are wise in the world's ways. It means that you should leave other people to discover what it is that 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 always the opposite of what you expect. If you are polite enough in your manner and courteous in your tone there are many people whom you may abuse outright, and yet ru

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Chapter IV. — Worldly Fortune.—

Chapter IV. — Worldly Fortune.—

SECTION 47. However varied the forms that human destiny may take, the same elements are always present; and so life is everywhere much of a piece, whether it passed in the cottage or in the palace, in the barrack or in the cloister. Alter the circumstance as much as you please! point to strange adventures, successes, failures! life is like a sweet-shop, where there is a great variety of things, odd in shape and diverse in color—one and all made from the same paste. And when men speak of some one

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Section 48. An Ancient Writer Says, Very Truly, That There Are Three

Section 48. An Ancient Writer Says, Very Truly, That There Are Three

great powers in the world; Sagacity, Strength , and Luck ,—[Greek: sunetos, kratos, tuchu.] I think the last is the most efficacious. A man's life is like the voyage of a ship, where luck—secunda aut adversa fortuna —acts the part of the wind, and speeds the vessel on its way or drives it far out of its course. All that the man can do for himself is of little avail; like the rudder, which, if worked hard and continuously, may help in the navigation of the ship; and yet all may be lost again by a

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Section 49. That Time Works Great Changes, And That All Things Are

Section 49. That Time Works Great Changes, And That All Things Are

in their nature fleeting—these are truths that should never be forgotten. Hence, in whatever case you may be, it is well to picture to yourself the opposite: in prosperity, to be mindful of misfortune; in friendship, of enmity; in good weather, of days when the sky is overcast; in love, of hatred; in moments of trust, to imagine the betrayal that will make you regret your confidence; and so, too, when you are in evil plight, to have a lively sense of happier times—what a lasting source of true w

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Section 50. In The Daily Affairs Of Life, You Will Have Very Many

Section 50. In The Daily Affairs Of Life, You Will Have Very Many

opportunities of recognizing a characteristic difference between ordinary people of prudence and discretion. In estimating the possibility of danger in connection with any undertaking, an ordinary man will confine his inquiries to the kind of risk that has already attended such undertakings in the past; whereas a prudent person will look ahead, and consider everything that might possibly happen in the future, having regard to a certain Spanish maxim: lo que no acaece en un ano, acaece en un rato

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Section 51. Whatever Fate Befalls You, Do Not Give Way To Great

Section 51. Whatever Fate Befalls You, Do Not Give Way To Great

rejoicings or great lamentations; partly because all things are full of change, and your fortune may turn at any moment; partly because men are so apt to be deceived in their judgment as to what is good or bad for them. Almost every one in his turn has lamented over something which afterwards turned out to be the very best thing for him that could have happened—or rejoiced at an event which became the source of his greatest sufferings. The right state of mind has been finely portrayed by Shakesp

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Section 52. What People Commonly Call Fate Is, As A General Rule,

Section 52. What People Commonly Call Fate Is, As A General Rule,

nothing but their own stupid and foolish conduct. There is a fine passage in Homer, 53 illustrating the truth of this remark, where the poet praises [GREEK: maetis]—shrewd council; and his advice is worthy of all attention. For if wickedness is atoned for only in another world, stupidity gets its reward here—although, now and then, mercy may be shown to the offender. Note --&gt; 53 ( return ) [ Iliad , xxiii. 313, sqq.] It is not ferocity but cunning that strikes fear into the heart and fore

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Section 53. Courage Comes Next To Prudence As A Quality Of Mind Very

Section 53. Courage Comes Next To Prudence As A Quality Of Mind Very

essential to happiness. It is quite true that no one can endow himself with either, since a man inherits prudence from his mother and courage from his father; still, if he has these qualities, he can do much to develop them by means of resolute exercise. In this world, where the game is played with loaded dice , a man must have a temper of iron, with armor proof to the blows of fate, and weapons to make his way against men. Life is one long battle; we have to fight at every step; and Voltaire ve

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Chapter V. — The Ages Of Life.

Chapter V. — The Ages Of Life.

There is a very fine saying of Voltaire's to the effect that every age of life has its own peculiar mental character, and that a man will feel completely unhappy if his mind is not in accordance with his years:— It will, therefore, be a fitting close to our speculations upon the nature of happiness, if we glance at the chances which the various periods of life produce in us. Our whole life long it is the present , and the present alone, that we actually possess: the only difference is that at th

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