Arthur Schopenhauer on Happiness
Arthur Schopenhauer was a German philosopher and one of the most influential thinkers of the 19th century. In one his books, The Wisdom of Life and Counsels and Maxims, he covers the idea of happiness and how it is connected to who we are.
He first categorizes our lives into three distinct classes:
- Who we are: health, strength, temperament, moral character, intelligence, education, etc
- What we have: property, possessions, etc.
- Our reputation: how we stand in other people’s estimation.
He goes on to argue that much of our happiness depends on the first category: who we are. In his assessment, it is hard to draw happiness from without. As he summarizes what a man has in himself is, then, the chief element in his happiness.
It is quite certain that what a man is contributes much more to his happiness than what he has. — Arthur Schopenhauer
That said, he does not discredit the importance of the other categories (possessions and reputation). For example, he mentions that the favor of others often puts us in the way of getting what we want.