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 person who writes for fools is always sure of a large audience.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Writing for the masses often attracts widespread attention, but it may lack depth and quality.
Arthur Schopenhauer highlights the paradox of writing; while simpler, less thoughtful content can easily capture a large audience, it often lacks the intellectual engagement that deeper works inspire. This quote suggests that catering to superficial tastes may lead to greater popularity, but true wisdom and insight are often found in more challenging, thought-provoking material that may not appeal to everyone.
Themes
WritingAudienceWisdomFoolsPopularity
In practice
Example use cases
In a class about critical writing, this quote could illustrate the importance of depth in literature.
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.
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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