The Rules Of Happiness, According To Schopenhauer
Arthur Schopenhauer was a brilliant German philosopher, deeply resourceful and highly influential during the second half of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th. He was characterized by posing a clearly pessimistic position towards the world and life, which was reflected in his main work, The world as will and representation.
His great realism and the depth of his thought prevented him from seeing “the world in pink.” Still , Schopenhauer wrote an essay with 50 rules for achieving happiness.
“Happiness” is one of those imprecise concepts that we have never agreed on throughout history. We share the idea that it is a certain sense of fulfillment and joy, but each person reaches that state for different reasons. In fact, many claim that it is not even a state as such, but a passing perception.
Schopenhauer developed a concept of happiness based on prudence and ethics. Within your thinking, happiness has much more to do with inner peace than with exaltation or bliss. Of his fifty rules for happiness, we have selected 10 that can be enriching for you.
Envy is a very negative force that can take over our hearts and block the joy of living. Those who are more focused on what others do or feel, neglects the task of building their own happiness. This is what a study carried out by Dr. George Foster of the University of Chicago reveals, for example.
According to this study, envy is the most dangerous emotion, the one that creates the most distance between people and the one that creates true unhappiness.
2. Get rid of the results
We often do: we focus exclusively on the result and the achievement of the goals. If we do not reach it, we experience the deepest failure, the bitterest disappointment.
Now, nothing can be more satisfying than feeling good about the effort made. The result does not matter, the process matters, what we have learned, feeling proud of ourselves and capable of trying new things, other projects that in the long run will bring us the expected success.
3. Allow ourselves joy
Many people come to experience a certain strangeness and even guilt when they feel happy. This is because others suffer or because suffering is considered more praiseworthy than joy. It is important to let go of these ideas and be able to experience joy, without any questioning.
Learning to enjoy the moment, to feel emotionally free is an exceptional mechanism to achieve happiness.
4. Control fantasies
Goya used to say that “imagination begets monsters”. With both our fears and our ambitions, we tend to let the fantasy fly. That is why we end up seeing dangers greater than those that really exist or gigantic successes that, in any case, do not come with simply dreaming about them.
Fantasy can sometimes be beneficial as a channel for creativity. As a mechanism to find motivation and clarification of goals and new ideas. Now, if all that universe of ideas does not serve any purpose and leads us towards a sink where dreaming impossible and ending up frustrated, it is better to control our thoughts.
5. Avoid unhappiness
Although it seems obvious, not all people avoid unhappiness. In fact, there are those who seek it and, of course, find it. For Schopenhauer, the healthy thing is to avoid or eradicate all those situations that can bring us misery, because in essence they are not worth it and are only the source of new difficulties.
6. Value what you have
Every day we should wake up and think about all that we have to give thanks for. Starting with one more day of life, with a roof, a bed and a conscience to value what we have and that many others do not have. Thus, within positive psychology, authors such as Martin Seligman often remind us of the need to appreciate what we already have in order to have a good starting point. That where we feel safe, that where to find encouragement and motivation to invest in well-being.
7. Undertake and learn
Having plans and projects brings a significant dose of zest to life. It doesn’t matter if that project is simply growing a plant or making delicious food. Those small businesses are a treasure.
In the same way, learning always allows us to feel that we are growing and evolving; therefore, it contributes to the happiness of living.
8. Take care of health
With the disease, the perspective on life changes completely. This is known to those who have had to endure the rigors of pain, discomfort, or limitation. Health is a real treasure that we must take care of in order to enjoy everything else.
9. Be compassionate to ourselves
The first form of goodness must be directed towards ourselves, argues Schopenhauer. It is important to evaluate ourselves, recognize mistakes and learn from them. What we should not do is whip ourselves, criticize ourselves too much or point out ourselves harshly. In the end, it is useless.
In fact, studies such as the one published in the journal “Psychology Science” reminds us that investing in self-esteem and self-care is a way not only to be happier, but to invest in quality of life and health.
10. Prepare for the passage of time
When we are young, it seems to us as if old age is something that happens to others, never to us. This fantasy leads us to live without preparing for that future where the weight of the years introduces new limitations and new vulnerabilities. Who prepares for old age, guarantees a better being in that fragile stage of life.
To conclude, as we can see, these wisdom lessons from Schopenhauer are real gifts to reflect on daily. Happiness is not a goal, it is a path to invest in on a daily basis by making simple changes in our personal approach. Dare to check it out.
