The Wisdom Of Life

The Wisdom Of Life is an essay from Arthur Schopenhauer’s last published work, which breaks down happiness into three parts and explains how we can achieve it.

Not to his credit, but much to his credibility, Schopenhauer re-examined a lot of what the ancient Stoics of Greece had thought about to set up his model. One example is his view of our personality. Besides repeating that it’s the only thing you can’t escape from, no matter where you go, he also shared their idea that this psychological construct rests on two pillars: our body and our mind.

Schopenhauer suggested a healthy body was a necessary prerequisite for a happy soul. Being healthy won’t guarantee you’re happy, but being unhealthy is sure to make you miserable. The key components to ensuring you remain fit are a simple, natural diet and lots of movement.

In terms of mental fitness, Schopenhauer said intellectuals were never bored, because they could find beauty and enjoyment in even the most mundane of situations. Fools, however, are always stuck with what’s in front of them, thus more likely to develop strong desires for entertainment, toxic substances, sex, and so on.

As I like to put it: The only person you are guaranteed to spend the rest of your life with is you. Make sure you’re in great company.

Well, suggested isn’t exactly the right term. He found them, once again in ancient Greece. The model of three human needs comes from Epicurus, a philosopher opposite to the Stoic side of the spectrum. He thought we should live every day as if it were our last, enjoying life as much as possible and indulging in our desires, for it just might be. His three categories of needs are:

Natural and necessary. Food, a roof over your head, and some clothes to wear. Whatever keeps the elements at bay and helps you survive. Natural, but unnecessary. Excess food, excess space, excess sex. Whatever comes out of the same category as above, but goes beyond what you need to live. Unnatural and unnecessary. Human inventions that serve to entertain us or satisfy some other, artificial need, like sports cars, luxury hand bags, a home cinema system, etc.

Schopenhauer summarized these as our ‘property,’ or what a man ‘has.’ They contribute to our happiness in so far as that they define what we expect of life. The more you expect, the harder it is to be happy. And while some material wealth gives us freedom, returns of more money are marginal and decline pretty quickly.

A number often quoted is about $65,000 per year if you live in a Western country. Know your needs and want what you have.