Why You Hate Your Life | Schopenhauer

Life, frankly, sucks. It is the hardest thing each of us will ever do. It will test us in almost every conceivable way, and we will find each step of it challenging, arduous, and difficult. In such a situation it is easy to give in to despair, but do not fear, for philosophy can come to the rescue again. The pessimist Arthur Schopenhauer thought more deeply about suffering than almost any other philosopher. And I have picked the 5 best and most accessible pieces of his wisdom to share with you today.
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00:00 Life is Suffering
00:51 The Downsides of Thinking
04:03 The Transparency of Happiness
07:28 The Happiness Lie
10:27 A Community of Suffering
13:24 What to do Next

Пікірлер: 86

  • @unsolicitedadvice9198
    @unsolicitedadvice91985 ай бұрын

    If you want to work with an experienced study coach teaching maths, philosophy, and study skills then book your session at josephfolleytutoring@gmail.com. Previous clients include students at the University of Cambridge and the LSE. Sign up to my email list: forms.gle/YYfaCaiQw9r6YfkN7

  • @bruhmoment1329
    @bruhmoment13295 ай бұрын

    schopenhauer has always been so interesting to me because i often had come to the same conclusions before i found him and then i started reading his ideas and it was a very weird experience. i think his ideas on suicide resonated with me especially.

  • @unsolicitedadvice9198

    @unsolicitedadvice9198

    5 ай бұрын

    He is truly a brilliant thinker!

  • @Takerofbootyeaterofcoochie

    @Takerofbootyeaterofcoochie

    5 ай бұрын

    The best feeling in the world is creating your own philosophy before delving into it, then being reaffirmed by the great thinkers before you. It’s so GRATIFYING!!!!

  • @skrrskrr99
    @skrrskrr994 ай бұрын

    Maybe I'm a pessimist but I'm studying schopenhauer and finding his work to be ironically hilarious, deep, insightful and encouraging. Of course there are disagreements but schopenhauer is a whole vibe and I'm into it.

  • @toxicxxxsoldier4270
    @toxicxxxsoldier42705 ай бұрын

    You are literally my favorite creator on KZread currently. The potential you have is astounding!

  • @cassidynoelle741
    @cassidynoelle7412 ай бұрын

    I think this helped me realize what one of the biggest struggles in overcoming my depression has been (excluding neurochemical imbalances). My biggest frustration is people shutting me down when I want to talk about what’s on my mind, which is typically unsolvable existential dilemmas or the unfortunate sides of human nature. I often say that I have the rare ability to depress anyone I talk to. However, I feel genuinely happy and contented when someone is able to just listen or wallow with me for a minute, at least acknowledging that I said something that is valid, even if misguided. This happens so often that I just avoid any difficult subjects altogether or anything that will put me in a sad mood like a drama film or watching the news. There is something about sharing suffering without the fear of being shunned, knowing that you can be vulnerable without your faults being used to ostracize you, and just help ground you in the present that is so much sweeter than just a “everything will be alright.”

  • @JBoer1996

    @JBoer1996

    2 ай бұрын

    I recognize your struggle and also have the tendency to discuss dark, abstract, existential ideas with people. I think it's important for us to realize that not everyone is open to this, and that such ideas can also be very confronting. People generally prefer not to think about these things. It is also often difficult for people to respond to these themes because they prefer to avoid them. Know that you are not alone in your dark thoughts; I share them with you. What has also helped me a lot is to delve into existentialism from a more positive standpoint. A philosophy that keeps me going and forms a red thread through my life is that of Simone de Beauvoir, very briefly summarized and not doing full justice to her work: We are free in our consciousness and at the same time bound to a body, we are insignificant and unique, life has no meaning and yet we must give it meaning. The human condition is ambiguous, states Simone de Beauvoir, and we should not try to resolve that ambiguity. Instead, we must learn to deal with that restlessness and uncertainty. Even though we realize that all sorts of circumstances play a role in our lives - your youth, your environment - we are still free.

  • @josephined8576

    @josephined8576

    Ай бұрын

    ​. I KEEP A JOURNAL. on whatever insight get into my head. It stops me from boring other people. BTW... Schopenhauer philosophy is refreshing ...I agree .

  • @alineharam
    @alineharam5 ай бұрын

    What joy.

  • @unsolicitedadvice9198

    @unsolicitedadvice9198

    5 ай бұрын

    Thank you! I am so glad you are enjoying the videos

  • @zarrielnorrel5297
    @zarrielnorrel52975 ай бұрын

    Watched my first video of yours a while back as I was waiting for the plane, didn't couldn't help but think: "What a likeable and entertaining bastard",looking forward to the future of your channel, your work has done me allot of good in a very little time, I hope I get to see more of it. Best of luck, I apriciate what you do.

  • @mmcintire65
    @mmcintire65Ай бұрын

    Well done, young master. Just finished viewing YOU SHOULDN'T FEAR DEATH video of yours. Having just turned 80 this year, I fully appreciate your insightful philosophical reflections on fearing 'death'. You might do a video on the philosophers who committed suicide. "Great Empedocles, that ardent soul, leapt into Etna, and was roasted whole" as Bertrand Russell quips in his history of ancient philosophy. I can attest that you are correct in thinking that the very elderly lose their fear of death since they have accomplished their life's work. I find myself in that mindset. After teaching philosophy since the tender age of 23 to college students, I now have the leisure time to devote to writing my own philosophical investigations and tending to nurturing the arc of 5 young mentees as they grapple with philosophy. Keep doing what you're doing. Your students are fortunate to have you holding a lamp to their feet as they travel their life of ideas. I will continue to enjoy all your offerings here. Mark McIntire Professor of Philosophy (almost retired)

  • @datsmydab-minecraft-and-mo5666
    @datsmydab-minecraft-and-mo56664 ай бұрын

    Absolutely loving the videos man

  • @ahlbf7
    @ahlbf73 ай бұрын

    The most absurd thing in lines of thinking(or philosophy) is there someone before you thought what you think. I find Schopenhauer’s quotes to be quite comforting, because I did the rumination myself in my life. It is like to agree with the arguments because you know what they are and jump out to the conclusions. There is some “luck” involved seeing those guys being the first to put their suffering into transmittable knowledge, in paper, for us to learn and suffer less. Thank you for your content, I believe existential crisis will be a chronic problem the rest of my life, but everything helps. Ah, and is of course a delight to watch all the videos in a more “normal” way to watch.

  • @annaandjudy
    @annaandjudy5 ай бұрын

    Just found your channel today. I'm very interested in philosophy and literature so your videos are simply perfect. Your diction is very refined (hardly any KZreadrs have that nowadays), and your videos offer so much insight. Please keep it up🙂

  • @austhina.cobrado6814
    @austhina.cobrado68145 ай бұрын

    Your videos are insightful, and you are also growing fast, keep up the good work!!

  • @durandus676
    @durandus676Ай бұрын

    Life is suffering and joy is found by choosing what you suffer from.

  • @sisyphusatrest5703
    @sisyphusatrest57035 ай бұрын

    Your videos are as always fantastic. Hope to hear more philosopy from other philosophers, thinkers. Keep it up 👍

  • @unsolicitedadvice9198

    @unsolicitedadvice9198

    5 ай бұрын

    Thank you! I’m really glad you like it

  • @drewmorrison
    @drewmorrison5 ай бұрын

    Dude keep up the videos! Your channel is great!

  • @unsolicitedadvice9198

    @unsolicitedadvice9198

    5 ай бұрын

    Thank you! I am glad you like them

  • @Greatest_Gig
    @Greatest_Gig5 ай бұрын

    bro you are SEVERELY underrated

  • @unsolicitedadvice9198

    @unsolicitedadvice9198

    5 ай бұрын

    Thank you! I appreciate that

  • @TheRustyLM
    @TheRustyLM3 ай бұрын

    Thank you 🙏

  • @ilsagita5257
    @ilsagita52575 ай бұрын

    Your command over tone ,voice is so leader like It directly hits the mind and soul. Thanks for this amazing content ..it is so interesting to know all these.

  • @unsolicitedadvice9198

    @unsolicitedadvice9198

    5 ай бұрын

    Ah thank you so much! I’m really glad you are enjoying the videos

  • @YankaSmith
    @YankaSmith22 күн бұрын

    This is not my first time watching and listening to this video, but this is the first time I am observing and then feeling the effect...I will call this overall feeling, "Rosie" ...

  • @mustard6
    @mustard64 ай бұрын

    you teach me so much about these books, i get a better understanding of these authors ideologies and if it resonates with me

  • @AwesomelyNumb
    @AwesomelyNumb5 ай бұрын

    Your videos are great, digestible approaches to concepts within philosophy. I appreciate your references to other writers, it lets me rabbit-hole into other concepts. I thank you for your efforts

  • @unsolicitedadvice9198

    @unsolicitedadvice9198

    5 ай бұрын

    Thank you for watching! I’m really glad you like them

  • @karenfaulkner5922
    @karenfaulkner5922Ай бұрын

    I Realy Enjoyed That 😊

  • @brackish7271
    @brackish72712 ай бұрын

    i love this channel

  • 13 күн бұрын

    great video!

  • @daanschone1548
    @daanschone1548Ай бұрын

    Thanks fellow sufferer. Good thing you mention Epictetus. He was the first thing that came to mind seeing this video. I wonder if Schopenhauer did read his teachings.

  • @Todrianth
    @TodrianthАй бұрын

    there are people like my mother that is perfectly content with little abd no goals without ever giving a second thought. She always says I’m crazy when I talk about this perpetual suffering that she never felt in her life. Much like the dog you said, unless the basic needs of food shelter and social life is met, my mother feels no suffering and it utterly oblivious to it’s existence. In comparison, I’m perpetually tormented by this meaningless suffering… The main difference between me and my mother is that she has no higher education, so the question is if not knowing in itself brings mental illness…

  • @anesumasimba7457
    @anesumasimba74575 ай бұрын

    Your intonation,diction, elocution plus oratory skill is absolutely stupendous like that of Pericles,Demosthenes,Cicero,Gaius Julius Caesar,Winston Churchill or Barack Obama,Am glad I found this channel but feel like a novice when listening to you,any hints,tips and advice on how to be articulate the way you execute your speaking skills and how one can hone plus improve in that area?

  • @unsolicitedadvice9198

    @unsolicitedadvice9198

    5 ай бұрын

    Ah that’s very kind of you to say! But I’m honestly not a very good speaker, I just spend a lot of time revising the script

  • @anesumasimba7457

    @anesumasimba7457

    5 ай бұрын

    @@unsolicitedadvice9198Thanks for the advice,truly appreciate will apply it practically too.Never forget this and always put it into cognisance,you are an excellent speaker.

  • @AlliePaints

    @AlliePaints

    2 ай бұрын

    Bro what? You haven’t heard even half of those people speak 🤣

  • @mainlysysyy
    @mainlysysyy5 ай бұрын

    Just found out about this channel it's amazing❤ (also I like your old mustache you look like Nietzche😂)

  • @fawadnizamani761
    @fawadnizamani7612 ай бұрын

    You were lucky to be supported. In my case, I ended up exhausting the support of my friends and ended up alone and misery continued,

  • @cynthiatanaka7654
    @cynthiatanaka76543 ай бұрын

    Why did I laugh when u said they’re not actively suffering yay 😂 All of ur videos r great, loving them so much, keep up the good work 💪

  • @Will-ke7cj
    @Will-ke7cj5 ай бұрын

    I watch your videos with $uicideboy$ playing in the background. It’s a pretty good pairing. Love your work, keep it up. Thank you.

  • @kaydijdrahblack5529
    @kaydijdrahblack55294 ай бұрын

    My hero❤ read Schopenhauers book, The World as Will and Representations (ideas).

  • @smallypuppy22
    @smallypuppy222 ай бұрын

    So basically, we all have it so bad that we need each other.

  • @arielbendayan6422
    @arielbendayan64222 ай бұрын

    Are you making guest podcast appearances? Would absolutely love to see that.

  • @jonathanborrelli2749
    @jonathanborrelli27495 ай бұрын

    * open youtube * * see this as first raccommended video * Guess I'll face the truth

  • @piyushgadge8583
    @piyushgadge85835 ай бұрын

    Great Video!! He is one of the person Friedrich Nietzsche was inspired by!

  • @unsolicitedadvice9198

    @unsolicitedadvice9198

    5 ай бұрын

    Thank you! And yes, Nietzsche both loved and hated him

  • @SerratedPVP
    @SerratedPVP5 ай бұрын

    As always, well put together. Let's all learn from Schopenhauer and more Monks! haha

  • @unsolicitedadvice9198

    @unsolicitedadvice9198

    5 ай бұрын

    Thank you so much! And there is certainly much to learn from him

  • @SerratedPVP

    @SerratedPVP

    5 ай бұрын

    @@unsolicitedadvice9198 and yourself, as much thinking going on there as you have eyebrows. Just teasing; I actually love both those features of ya!

  • @berger1968
    @berger19683 ай бұрын

    I love your approach: 1. Life is shit 2. What to do next

  • @BardovBacchus
    @BardovBacchus3 ай бұрын

    It's difficult to consider more than two options. We ought to realize that happiness is an extreme emotion. We can't laugh all the time. We *can* modulate our expectations. As Libra, your humble Bard seeks balance in all things. Yes, hell is other people, and hell is also complete isolation. We learn more from failure than we do from success. Sadly we need each other, to save each other from ourselves. Our minds are evolved to react, to see the tiger in the wind blown grass. Our bellies do not stay full. Our minds are our best friend and worst enemy. It all sounds much better in the original Klingon.

  • @sambhavkapoor26
    @sambhavkapoor262 ай бұрын

    1:42 A dog cannot go as low as we can it cannot we as miserable but at the same time it cannot be as alive as we can it cannot get that joy

  • @easypeesy
    @easypeesy5 ай бұрын

    I 100% prefer hearing unsolicited advice from a young man

  • @lunareinhold3976
    @lunareinhold39762 ай бұрын

    I have the same problem but no one to share my suffering with.

  • @projectredmenace4742
    @projectredmenace47425 ай бұрын

    Weirdly enough, I came to somewhat similar conclusions before I even heard of Schopenhauer. Although, his metaphysics seems odd.

  • @lemon-yi6yh
    @lemon-yi6yh4 ай бұрын

    Schopenhauer is not merely a genius, but a genius among geniuses. In 8 years since I discovered this guy I have yet to encounter anyone on the same level. His followers may have improved upon him, but very little. "On the sufferings of the world" and "On the vanity of existence" are the greatest texts of philosophy ever written. Although I disagree with him on quite a few things, I couldn't praise him enough. Nietzsche is a buffoon by comparison. Thanks for the video :) I appreciate that you did not focus on Schop's personal defects, which there seems to have been a great many of, despite maybe not agreeing with him.

  • @dantescalona
    @dantescalona4 ай бұрын

    Ironically, I find the quote „ama et quod vis fac“ very recollective of his philosophy. Unfortunately, people seem to forget the first step and go straight for the second part…

  • @benquinneyiii7941
    @benquinneyiii79415 ай бұрын

    Zen

  • @mohacs1000
    @mohacs10003 ай бұрын

    Arthur is dark but he helps takeaway my sense of unique victimhood. This is a relief.

  • @Tod_der_Welt
    @Tod_der_Welt2 ай бұрын

    I got the power

  • @c_alaia
    @c_alaia5 ай бұрын

    8:16 - this "persuit of reward" conditioning does indeed come with a perceived disadvantage... But I believe we (oneself) make a choice - whether it's conscious or not. We can live in this way - despite knowing deeply of it's perpetually cyclical 'doom' - or not. But then what? If metaphysics has any consolation, then if not for "you", then your SOUL; yes, one's soul craves the knowledge of its earthly embodiment; _it_ *persues* this perpetualness 😆 , _it_ wants the right to ascend to divinity, and it does so in this way... And if it doesn't (like for Schopenhauer perhaps and some others) then sure, the constant persuit would render unnecessary, and (arguably) insane.* As for me, I wholeheartedly agree with this Roosevelt's "to dare" sentiment: "Far better it is to dare mighty things, to win glorious triumphs, even though checkered by failure, than to take rank with those poor spirits who neither enjoy much nor suffer much, because they live in the gray twilight that knows not victory nor defeat" Maybe it makes the divine discontent of 'life' possibly worthwhile...?

  • @c_alaia

    @c_alaia

    5 ай бұрын

    *NB: what I mean by 'if the soul is no longer wanting to learn' (like in the case of Schopenhauer et al) - I mean that the soul no longer has a _need_ to learn of earthly etcetera because it has reached a point of true enlightenment. Which in essence, is divine.

  • @c_alaia

    @c_alaia

    5 ай бұрын

    P.S.S. Anyway, I think l still oversimplified it all 😶‍🌫️

  • @bennymoreira1443
    @bennymoreira14435 ай бұрын

    Pisces man knows it all too well.

  • @benbeasant3443
    @benbeasant34433 ай бұрын

    I wonder what he'd make of the new ideology of grievance where some people are more privileged or have it much easier than other oppressed groups.

  • @Deepfocus0228
    @Deepfocus02285 ай бұрын

    We need nothing, our creator does.we dont know who we are! why we are here !why were we born! When do we die ! we all are nothing. Just let try to be kind to ourselves and others .

  • @nomadman5288
    @nomadman52885 ай бұрын

    I don't deny that we suffer, but I believe its over emphasized. I believe that we actually suffer very little, but because of this, its more intense when we do and therefore it seems as though we suffer more than we really do. I'm pretty sure there's even an ancient quote about suffering more in imagination than in reality. Considering that we sleep nearly a third of our lives and another doing work of some kind, that already limits how much time we have to legitimately suffer. The truth is most of our lives are uneventful and we really don't suffer that much. Sitting around feeling discontent or self oity isn't the same thing as suffering. Even grief is, past a certain point, self induced from imaging and being unwilling to move beyond it or at least use it constructively.

  • @AlecJ5001

    @AlecJ5001

    5 ай бұрын

    To Schopenhauer's point, people suffer at different degrees and all uniquely - the work that you refer to, that takes up a significant amount of all our lives - for most of humanity is an insufferable experience. The truth of our lives being uneventful is correct, but again to be self-aware enough to strive for greater things, to acknowledge falling short of goals or never setting a goal in the first place - is a point of suffering. It may not bother you, but sitting around knowing you're capable of more but may have whatever barriers, be it political, financial, or to your point, even self induced - is still suffering. It sounds like you learn your lessons quickly, take your medicine, and move on, which is commendable but again - people suffer at different degrees. But I would absolutely argue that we do suffer far more than we experience pleasure, but as all things, it depends on the person.

  • @TheGiantMidget
    @TheGiantMidget4 ай бұрын

    The reason other people's suffering makes you feel better about your own is actaully quite dark. According to spinoza all of our emotions are a result of our perceived increase or decrease in power. When we feel sad it is because we perceive our power to be diminished in some way and when it is lower than other people's by comparison that makes us feel even more sad. So we want other people to be as miserable as we are so that we don't feel like they are more powerful than us. Basically we don't want anyone else to be happy if we aren't happy 😂 lovely creatures eh....

  • @juliahello6673
    @juliahello667317 күн бұрын

    Dogs are happy because they are domesticated so their bad emotions stopped being important. Wild animals suffer.

  • @worstmistakeyet
    @worstmistakeyet5 ай бұрын

    first

  • @unsolicitedadvice9198

    @unsolicitedadvice9198

    5 ай бұрын

    Right you are!

  • @matejmazur191
    @matejmazur1915 ай бұрын

    My life is great, its probably just you.

  • @unsolicitedadvice9198

    @unsolicitedadvice9198

    5 ай бұрын

    That could be it

  • @optm6021

    @optm6021

    5 ай бұрын

    That just means you are lucky and dodged lifes bullshit thats what i believe.

  • @uk7769

    @uk7769

    5 ай бұрын

    ​@@optm6021or maybe, they just haven't been thoroughly tested enough. Yet.

  • @lemon-yi6yh

    @lemon-yi6yh

    4 ай бұрын

    ​​@@unsolicitedadvice9198it's not, this guy's a lucky moron, hoi polloi

  • @toiletfrog
    @toiletfrog2 ай бұрын

    Hello my fellow sufferers