Monday Musings: Nuggets from Philosophy # 1
They say one must be ready for a book. When you are ready, the book will find you. I could not move beyond a few pages of the Will Durant ‘Story of philosophy’ more than a decade ago when I picked it up the first time. I am making some progress this time. Here are some nuggets from chapter on the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1818).
Agree or disagree buy Enjoy !!
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They say one must be ready for a book. When you are ready, the book will find you. I could not move beyond a few pages of the Will Durant ‘Story of philosophy’ more than a decade ago when I picked it up the first time. I am making some progress this time. Here are some nuggets from chapter on the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1818).
Agree or disagree buy Enjoy !!
...
1. In some men egotism is the compensation for absence of fame; in others egotism lends a general co operation to its presence.
2. It is impossible to solve the metaphysical puzzle, to discover the secret essence of reality, by examining matter first, and then proceeding to examine thought; we must begin with that we which we know directly (or ought to know) and intimately – ourselves.
3. There is uselessness in logic; no one ever convinced anybody by logic; and even logicians use logic only as a source of income. To convince a man you must appeal to his self interest, his desires, and his will.
4. Men are only apparently drawn from in front; in reality they are pushed from behind. They think they are led on by what they feel and see; in truth they are driven on by what they feel – by instincts of whose operation they are half the time un conscious.
5. Intellect tires, will does not. The intellect needs sleep, but the will works even in sleep, Fatigue, like pain has its seat in the brain; Muscles not connected with the brain never tire (like the heart)
6. In general the wise in all ages have always said the same things and fools have in their way too have acted alike, and so will continue. As Voltaire says ‘’we shall leave the world as foolish and wicked as we found it’’
7. The total picture of life is almost too painful for contemplation; life depends on our not knowing it too well.
8. To be happy one must be as ignorant as youth, Youth thinks that willing and striving are joys; it has not yet discovered the weary insatiableness of desire and the fruitlessness of fulfilment it does not yet see the invevitableness of defeat.
9. The fear of death is the beginning of philosophy and the final cause of religion.
10. Our happiness depends on what we have in our heads than what we have in our pockets. Even fame is folly; other people’s heads are a wretched place to be the home of a man’s true happiness
Post script – A pearl by the great philosopher particularly for the workplace – “Talent hits a target no one can hit; genius hits a target no one can see”
2. It is impossible to solve the metaphysical puzzle, to discover the secret essence of reality, by examining matter first, and then proceeding to examine thought; we must begin with that we which we know directly (or ought to know) and intimately – ourselves.
3. There is uselessness in logic; no one ever convinced anybody by logic; and even logicians use logic only as a source of income. To convince a man you must appeal to his self interest, his desires, and his will.
4. Men are only apparently drawn from in front; in reality they are pushed from behind. They think they are led on by what they feel and see; in truth they are driven on by what they feel – by instincts of whose operation they are half the time un conscious.
5. Intellect tires, will does not. The intellect needs sleep, but the will works even in sleep, Fatigue, like pain has its seat in the brain; Muscles not connected with the brain never tire (like the heart)
6. In general the wise in all ages have always said the same things and fools have in their way too have acted alike, and so will continue. As Voltaire says ‘’we shall leave the world as foolish and wicked as we found it’’
7. The total picture of life is almost too painful for contemplation; life depends on our not knowing it too well.
8. To be happy one must be as ignorant as youth, Youth thinks that willing and striving are joys; it has not yet discovered the weary insatiableness of desire and the fruitlessness of fulfilment it does not yet see the invevitableness of defeat.
9. The fear of death is the beginning of philosophy and the final cause of religion.
10. Our happiness depends on what we have in our heads than what we have in our pockets. Even fame is folly; other people’s heads are a wretched place to be the home of a man’s true happiness
Post script – A pearl by the great philosopher particularly for the workplace – “Talent hits a target no one can hit; genius hits a target no one can see”
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