We can come to look upon the deaths of our enemies with as much regret as we feel for those of our friends, namely, when we miss their existence as witnesses to our success.
Arthur SchopenhauerRead
The actual life of a thought lasts only until it reaches the point of speech...As soon as our thinking has found words it ceases to be sincere...When it begins to exist in others it ceases to live in us, just as the child severs itself from its mother when it enters into its own existence.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Thoughts lose their authenticity when spoken aloud, transforming into shared ideas.
This quote by Arthur Schopenhauer reflects the notion that once a thought is verbalized, it becomes estranged from its original intent and sincerity. Just as a child separates from its mother to gain independence, a thought's life is diminished once it transitions from the private realm of personal contemplation to the public domain of communication, thereby losing its genuine essence. It emphasizes the idea that verbal expression can dilute the purity of our inner thoughts.
Themes
ThoughtSpeechSincerityCommunicationPhilosophy
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about the nature of creativity, one might quote Schopenhauer to emphasize how the act of sharing ideas can dilute their original intent.
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We will gradually become indifferent to what goes on in the minds of other people when we acquire a knowledge of the superficial nature of their thoughts, the narrowness of their views and of the number of their errors. Whoever attaches a lot of value to the opinions of others pays them too much honor.
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