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
It often happens that we blurt out things that may in some kind of way be harmful to us, but we are silent about things that may make us look ridiculous; because in this case effect follows very quickly on cause.
Interpretation
What this quote means
People often speak without thinking and say things that can hurt them, while they stay silent about things that could embarrass them.
In this quote, Schopenhauer reflects on the human tendency to speak candidly about potentially damaging topics while avoiding discussion of matters that could lead to personal embarrassment. He suggests that the repercussions of our words often prompt us to self-censor, indicating a complex relationship between honesty, fear of judgment, and the consequences of our communication.
Themes
CommunicationHonestyFearEmbarrassmentConsequences
In practice
Example use cases
This quote can be used in a discussion about the importance of thinking before speaking in a public speaking workshop.
More from Arthur Schopenhauer
All quotes →To be shocked at how deeply rejection hurts is to ignore what acceptance involves. We must never allow our suffering to be compounded by suggestions that there is something odd in suffering so deeply. There would be something amiss if we didn't.
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Almost all of our sorrows spring out of our relations with other people.
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Life is full of troubles and vexations, that one must either rise above it by means of corrected thoughts, or leave it.
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Our religions will never at any time take root; the ancient wisdom of the human race will not be supplanted by the events in Galilee. On the contrary, Indian wisdom flows back to Europe, and will produce a fundamental change in our knowledge and thought.
Arthur SchopenhauerRead
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.
Arthur SchopenhauerRead
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