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
Opinion is like a pendulum and obeys the same law. If it goes past the centre of gravity on one side, it must go a like distance on the other; and it is only after a certain time that it finds the true point at which it can remain at rest.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Opinions fluctuate over time and must balance to reach a stable point.
Arthur Schopenhauer's quote suggests that opinions are not fixed; they swing back and forth like a pendulum. Just as a pendulum must pass through extremes before settling in the center, our views may initially lean toward one extreme before they can stabilize in a balanced perspective, reflecting the complex nature of human thought and understanding.
Themes
OpinionPendulumBalanceTruthPerspective
In practice
Example use cases
In a debate about controversial topics, one might say, 'As Schopenhauer noted, opinion is like a pendulum, urging us to find balance in our beliefs.'
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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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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