On the Suffering of the World

1. Life's Purpose Isn't Happiness, But Suffering

If the immediate and direct purpose of our life is not suffering then our existence is the most ill-adapted to its purpose in the world.

Suffering is inherent. Schopenhauer argues that suffering is not an accidental byproduct of life, but its very essence. The world is full of endless affliction, arising from the needs and distress that are fundamental to existence. It's absurd to think that this constant suffering is purposeless or accidental. Misfortune, while seeming exceptional on an individual level, is the rule for all of existence.

Purpose in suffering. If we accept that suffering is the core of life, then our existence is not ill-adapted, but perfectly suited to its purpose. This perspective challenges the common notion that life's goal is happiness. Instead, Schopenhauer suggests that we should understand and accept suffering as the primary condition of our being. This acceptance can lead to a deeper understanding of ourselves and the world.

Misfortune is the rule. While individual misfortunes may seem like exceptions, misfortune in general is the norm. This is not a pessimistic view, but a realistic one. By acknowledging the prevalence of suffering, we can better prepare ourselves for the inevitable challenges of life. This understanding can also foster empathy for others who are also experiencing their own unique forms of suffering.

2. Pleasure is Negative, Pain is Positive

For evil is precisely that which is positive, that which makes itself palpable; and good, on the other hand, i.e. all happiness and all gratification, is that which is negative, the mere abolition of a desire and extinction of a pain.

Pain is the default. We only notice what is unpleasant or painful because it directly opposes our will. Agreeable things, on the other hand, are often unnoticed. This is because our will is only conscious when it is thwarted. We are more aware of the "shoe that pinches" than the overall health of our body.

Negativity of well-being. Schopenhauer argues that well-being and happiness are not positive states, but rather the absence of pain. Pleasure is merely the cessation of a desire or the extinction of pain. This is why pleasure is often less pleasurable than we expect, while pain is more painful. This concept challenges the common view that happiness is a positive and attainable goal.

Animalistic comparison. A quick test of this assertion is to compare the feelings of an animal eating another with those of the animal being eaten. The animal being eaten experiences a positive pain, while the animal eating experiences a negative pleasure. This illustrates the fundamental imbalance between pain and pleasure in the world.

3. The Torment of Time and the Need for Struggle

Not the least of the torments which plague our existence is the constant pressure of time, which never lets us so much as draw breath but pursues us all like a taskmaster with a whip.

Time as a tormentor. Time is a constant pressure, never allowing us to rest. It pursues us like a taskmaster with a whip, only ceasing when it delivers us to boredom. This constant pressure of time is a significant source of torment in our lives. It highlights the relentless nature of existence.

The need for struggle. If all our desires were immediately satisfied, we would be consumed by boredom. We need a certain amount of care, sorrow, or want, like a ship needs ballast, to keep us on course. Without struggle, life would be unbearable. This suggests that our struggles are not just obstacles, but necessary components of a meaningful existence.

Utopia's downfall. Imagine a world where everything is readily available. In such a place, people would either die of boredom, commit suicide, or fight each other. This illustrates that suffering is not just a consequence of our world, but a necessary condition for our existence. It highlights the paradoxical nature of human desire and the need for challenges.

4. Man's Knowledge Amplifies Suffering

The animals are much more content with mere existence than we are; the plants are wholly so; and man is so according to how dull and insensitive he is.

Thought intensifies emotions. Man's capacity for thought intensifies his emotions, both positive and negative. Unlike animals, humans are not limited to the present moment. We can reflect on the past and anticipate the future, leading to care, fear, and hope. This ability to think about absent and future things makes a far stronger impression on us than present pleasures or sufferings.

Boredom as a scourge. Man's capacity for reflection also leads to boredom, a scourge unknown to animals in their natural state. Want and boredom are the twin poles of human life. This highlights the unique challenges that come with human consciousness. It also suggests that our capacity for thought, while a source of great achievement, is also a source of great suffering.

Animal contentment. Animals are more content with mere existence because they lack the capacity for reflection. They are limited to the present moment, free from care, anxiety, and hope. This highlights the paradoxical nature of human consciousness, which, while allowing for great achievements, also leads to greater suffering.

5. Life is a Disappointment, a Cheat

In any case, even he who has found life tolerably bearable will, the longer he lives, feel the more clearly that on the whole it is a disappointment, nay a cheat.

Life's broken promises. Life often fails to live up to the promises of youth. What once seemed fair and full of potential often ends in disappointment. This is a common experience, and it highlights the gap between our expectations and reality. It also suggests that our initial optimism is often misplaced.

The illusion of youth. When two friends meet in old age, they often share a feeling of disappointment with life. This feeling dominates over all others, even without being spoken. This shared experience highlights the universal nature of this disillusionment. It also suggests that our youthful hopes are often based on illusions.

Rational procreation. If procreation were a matter of rational consideration, would we choose to bring new life into this world? The burden of existence is so great that we might prefer to spare future generations. This thought experiment highlights the ethical implications of procreation and the inherent suffering of life.

6. The World is Hell, and We Are Its Tormentors

For the world is Hell, and men are on the one hand the tormented souls and on the other the devils in it.

A penal colony. The world is a place of atonement, a penal colony where we are punished for our existence. This perspective helps us understand the calamities, sufferings, and miseries of life as something to be expected. It also encourages us to view others with tolerance and compassion.

Guilt of existence. We come into the world already encumbered with guilt, and our existence is an expiation of the crime of being born. This metaphysical perspective suggests that our suffering is not arbitrary, but a consequence of our inherent nature. It also encourages humility and self-reflection.

Fellow sufferers. The appropriate form of address between people should be "fellow sufferer." This reminds us of our shared condition and the need for tolerance, patience, forbearance, and charity. It also highlights the importance of empathy and compassion in our interactions with others.

7. Existence is Vanity, a Fleeting Present

The vanity of existence is revealed in the whole form existence assumes: in the infiniteness of time and space contrasted with the finiteness of the individual in both.

Time's relentless march. Time is the form under which the will to live reveals the vanity of its striving. Everything becomes nothingness in our hands, losing all real value. This highlights the transient nature of existence and the futility of our efforts. It also suggests that our attachment to the material world is ultimately meaningless.

The fleeting present. Our existence has no foundation except the transient present. It is a constant motion without any possibility of rest. This highlights the instability of life and the impossibility of finding lasting happiness. It also suggests that our pursuit of stability is ultimately futile.

Life as a task. Life presents itself as a task of maintaining itself, but once accomplished, it becomes a burden. We then seek to ward off boredom, which is a direct proof that existence is in itself valueless. This highlights the paradoxical nature of human desire and the inherent emptiness of existence.

8. The Thing-in-Itself vs. Appearance

Thing in itself signifies that which exists independently of our perception, that which actually is.

Surface vs. interior. We only know the surface of things, their appearances, not their inner essence. Physics studies these appearances, while metaphysics seeks to understand the interior. This highlights the limitations of our knowledge and the importance of seeking deeper understanding. It also suggests that our perception of reality is limited and subjective.

Twofold explanation. Everything in nature is both appearance and thing-in-itself, susceptible to both physical and metaphysical explanations. The physical explanation is in terms of cause, while the metaphysical is in terms of will. This highlights the dual nature of reality and the importance of considering both perspectives. It also suggests that our understanding of the world is incomplete without both physical and metaphysical insights.

The limits of knowledge. We complain of the darkness in which we live, not understanding the nature of existence. But this complaint arises from the false premise that the totality of things is accessible to knowledge. The truth is that much of what we seek to know is unknowable. This highlights the limitations of human intellect and the importance of accepting the unknown.

9. Denial of the Will to Live is True Redemption

The denial of the will to live does not in any way imply the annihilation of a substance; it means merely the act of non-volition: that which previously willed, wills no more.

Non-volition, not annihilation. The denial of the will to live is not the annihilation of substance, but the act of non-volition. It is the cessation of willing, not the cessation of being. This highlights the importance of understanding the will as the source of our suffering. It also suggests that true redemption lies in transcending the will.

Asceticism as redemption. My ethics stands in the same relation to that of all other European philosophers as the New Testament does to the Old. The true soul of the New Testament is undoubtedly the spirit of asceticism. This highlights the importance of self-denial and the rejection of worldly desires as a path to redemption. It also suggests that true salvation lies in transcending the will to live.

The root of sin. Human desires are not sinful simply when they cause harm, but are inherently sinful in their essence. The entire will to live is reprehensible. This highlights the importance of understanding the will as the root of all suffering and evil. It also suggests that true redemption lies in transcending the will to live.

10. Death is Not Annihilation, But a Return

After your death you will be what you were before your birth.

Pre-existence and post-existence. After death, we will be what we were before birth. This implies that it is preposterous to demand that a species of existence which had a beginning should not have an end. It also suggests that there may be two kinds of existence and two kinds of nothingness. This perspective challenges the common fear of death as annihilation.

Indestructible essence. Death is not the end of our essential being, but the end of our phenomenal appearance. Our intrinsic being is unaffected by time, causality, and change. This highlights the distinction between our individual existence and our essential being. It also suggests that our true self is indestructible.

Life as a dream. Life can be regarded as a dream, and death as the awakening from it. The personality belongs to the dreaming, not the awakened consciousness. This highlights the illusory nature of our individual existence. It also suggests that death is not a transition to something foreign, but a return to our original state.

11. Suicide is Not a Crime, But a Mistake

The only cogent moral argument against suicide is that it is opposed to the achievement of the highest moral goal, inasmuch as it substitutes for a true redemption from this world of misery a merely apparent one.

Not a crime, but a mistake. Suicide is not a crime, but a mistake. It is not inherently wrong, but it is opposed to the achievement of true redemption. This perspective challenges the common view that suicide is a cowardly or immoral act. It also suggests that there are deeper reasons for avoiding suicide.

Ascetic argument. The only cogent moral argument against suicide is an ascetic one. It is valid only from a higher ethical standpoint than most European moral philosophers have assumed. This highlights the importance of understanding the metaphysical implications of suicide. It also suggests that true redemption lies in transcending the will to live, not escaping it.

Terrors of life vs. death. People commit suicide when the terrors of life outweigh the terrors of death. The physical pain of suicide loses significance in the face of excessive spiritual suffering. This highlights the importance of understanding the psychological factors that contribute to suicide. It also suggests that suicide is often a response to unbearable suffering.

12. Women are Different, Not Equal

One needs only to see the way she is built to realize that woman is not intended for great mental or for great physical labour.

Different roles. Women are not intended for great mental or physical labor. They are suited to being nurses and teachers of early childhood because they are childish, silly, and short-sighted. This perspective challenges the modern view of gender equality. It also suggests that men and women have different strengths and weaknesses.

Nature's design. Nature has equipped women with beauty and charm for a few years to capture a man's attention. This is a tool for securing her existence. This perspective highlights the biological differences between men and women. It also suggests that women's beauty is a tool for survival.

Lack of justice. The fundamental defect of the female character is a lack of a sense of justice. This originates from their weaker reasoning power and their reliance on cunning. This perspective challenges the common view of women as morally superior. It also suggests that women are more prone to deception and dishonesty.

Last updated: January 24, 2025