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
There is no opinion, however absurd, which men will not readily embrace as soon as they can be brought to the conviction that it is generally adopted.
Interpretation
What this quote means
People often accept even the most ridiculous ideas if they believe they are widely accepted by others.
This quote by Arthur Schopenhauer emphasizes the tendency of individuals to conform to popular opinions, regardless of the validity of those opinions. It highlights a psychological phenomenon where people are influenced by the majority belief, suggesting that social acceptance can overpower rational judgment and critical thinking.
Themes
OpinionBeliefConformityMajorityPsychology
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate about social media trends, one might use this quote to illustrate how people blindly follow fads.
More from Arthur Schopenhauer
All quotes βTo 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.
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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.
Arthur SchopenhauerRead
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