Biography:(1788-1860) Certainly one of the greatest philosophers of the 19th century, Schopenhauer seems to have had more impact on literature and on people in general than on academic philosophy. Perhaps that is because, first, he wrote very well, simply and intelligibly (unusual, we might say, for a German philosopher, and unusual now for any philosopher), second, he was the first Western philosopher to have access to translations of philosophical material from India, both Vedic and Buddhist, by which he was profoundly affected, to the great interest of many, and, third, his concerns were with the dilemmas and tragedies, in a religious or existential sense, of real life, not just with abstract philosophical problems. As Carl Jung said:
"He (Schopenhauer) was the first to speak of the suffering of the world, which visibly and glaringly surrounds us, and of confusion, passion, evil -- all those things which the [other philosophers] hardly seemed to notice and always tried to resolve into all-embracing harmony and comprehensibility. Here at last was a philosopher who had the courage to see that all was not for the best in the fundaments of the universe."
Q: I would like to learn to enjoy each separate moment.
Schopenhauer's Answer: Peace of mind! That is something essential to any enjoyment of the present moment, and unless its separate moments are enjoyed, there is an end to life's happiness as a whole. We should always recollect that today comes only once, and never returns, but tomorrow is another day, which, in its turn, comes once only.
Q: Feelings of inferiority have always prevented me from attempting to climb the mountain. I often think that I lack the necessary inner qualities.
A: On the other hand, we are often wiser than we fancy ourselves to be . . . In the great moments of life, when a man decides upon an important step, his action is directed not so much by any clear knowledge of the right thing to do, as by an inner impulse -- you may almost call it intuition -- proceeding from the deepest foundation of his being.
Q: How can we awaken our natural powers and turn them to practical use?
 It is only when we come to view our life as a connected whole that our character and capacities show themselves in their true light... 
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-- Schopenhauer
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A: The mason employed on the building of a house may be quite ignorant of its general design, or, at any rate, he may not keep it constantly in mind. So it is with man: in working through the days and hours of his life, he takes little thought of its character as a whole . . . It is only when we come to view our life as a connected whole that our character and capacities show themselves in their true light; that we see how, in particular instances, some happy inspiration, as it were, led us to choose the only true path out of a thousand which might have brought us ruin.
Q: After searching for the answers to life for a long time, I have at least one solid conviction -- organized society knows nothing. For example, I recently attended a meeting for the promotion of world peace -- and the people spent most of their time fighting among themselves!
A: Take another example -- a roomful of guests in full dress, being received with great ceremony. You could almost believe that this is a noble and distinguished company; but, as a matter of fact, it is compulsion, pain and boredom who are the real guests. For where many are invited, it is a rabble -- even if they all wear stars. Really good society is everywhere of necessity very small. In brilliant festivals and noisy entertainments, there is always, at bottom, a sense of emptiness prevalent. A false tone is there.
Q: It is a relief to have my suspicions about deceitful human nature confirmed by those who see deeply into it. What practical procedure should we now follow?
A: You will see that, in dealing with fools and blockheads, there is only one way of showing your intelligence -- by having nothing to do with them. That means, of course, that when you go into society, you may now and then feel like a good dancer who gets an invitation to a ball, and on arriving, finds that everyone is lame -- with whom is he to dance?
Q: I am getting more conscious of how we carelessly permit other people to drain our psychic strength. Since we need to conserve our energies, will you please comment and advise?
A: If a man stands high on Nature's lists it is natural and inevitable that he should feel solitary. It will be an advantage to him if his surroundings do not interfere with this feeling; for if he has to see many other people who are not of like character with himself, they will exercise a disturbing influence upon him, adverse to his peace of mind; they will rob him, in fact, of himself, and give him nothing to compensate for the loss.
Q: We are all so impatient and so frustrated in our dealings with each other. By what method can we show more gentleness and understanding?
A: The art of putting up with people may be learned by practicing patience on inanimate objects, which, in virtue of some mechanical or general physical necessity, oppose a stubborn resistance to our freedom of action -- a form of patience which is required every day. The patience thus gained may be applied to our dealings with men, by accustoming ourselves to regard their opposition, wherever we encounter it, as the inevitable outcome of their nature, which sets itself up against us according to the same rigid law of necessity which governs the resistance of inanimate objects. To become indignant at their conduct is as foolish as to be angry with a stone because it rolls into your path.
Q: The evidence of man's self-defeating behavior is too overwhelming to dismiss, but won't we find it upsetting or depressing to give it much attention?
A: If you come across any special trait of meanness or stupidity . . . you must be careful not to let it annoy or distress you, but to look upon it merely as an addition to your knowledge -- a new fact to be considered in studying the character of humanity. Your attitude towards it should be that of the mineralogist who stumbles upon a very characteristic specimen of a mineral.
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