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 is a wise thing to be polite; consequently, it is a stupid thing to be rude. To make enemies by unnecessary and willful incivility, is just as insane a proceeding as to set your house on fire. For politeness is like a counter--an avowedly false coin, with which it is foolish to be stingy.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Politeness is essential in social interactions, whereas rudeness can lead to unnecessary conflict.
In this quote, Arthur Schopenhauer emphasizes the importance of politeness in human interactions. He asserts that being rude not only harms relationships but is also an irrational act, akin to self-sabotage. Politeness, while perhaps not always genuine, serves as a necessary social currency that facilitates smoother interpersonal relations. By being stingy with politeness, one risks inciting discord and creating unnecessary enemies, much like initiating self-destructive behavior.
Themes
PolitenessRudenessSocial InteractionWisdomRelationships
In practice
Example use cases
During a business meeting, one might quote Schopenhauer to emphasize the importance of maintaining professionalism.
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.
Arthur SchopenhauerRead
Almost all of our sorrows spring out of our relations with other people.
Arthur SchopenhauerRead
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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