Schopenhauer’s philosophy of life in daily practice

Epictetus, a philosopher from the 1st century AD, provides excellent guidance for the daily practice of the ideas of Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860). Schopenhauer was focused on the attainment of happiness, and Epictetus pursued tranquillity and virtue, but in practical terms, their ideas are very close. Epictetus emphasised the distinction between internal and external events. Internal events comprise our thoughts, desires, and actions. External events comprise other people’s actions and all aspects of life beyond our control. According to Epictetus, the keys tranquillity and virtue are accepting external events for what they are, and concentrating our efforts on internal events, that is, on our inner disposition. Schopenhauer did not agree with this distinction. His theory of the will (“life force”) predicates that the will pushes living creatures into a relentless quest for survival, reproduction and pleasure, without considering costs, risks and consequences. The will affects both external factors and internal factors. It is going to drive other people’s actions as much as it drives our own psychology and motivation. Epictetus’ distinction between external and internal events does not correlate with the sphere of influence of the will. According to Schopenhauer, the will is exerting continuous influence both internally and externally. Epictetus sustained that our judgements about events, rather than the events themselves, shape our emotions. He advised people to discard exaggerated beliefs and grow more rational. In contrast, Schopenhauer in his work “On the fourfold root of the principle of sufficient reason” (1814) considered it natural that negative emotions ensue after tangible setbacks. His later book “The world as will and representation” (1818) confirmed his realistic views. Suffering is not purely psychological, stated Schopenhauer. It is a fact that people endure reversals and disappointments in life. Epictetus’ view of feelings as purely psychological events does not match everyday observations. Nonetheless, the recommendations given by Schopenhauer resemble very much those given by Epictetus. For instance, in the sayings inherited from Epictetus, we find the concept of “stoic reserve.” “Stoic reserve” is defined by Epictetus as a person’s ability to endure hardship in a calm, dignified manner, that is, without complaining. You will find a similar concept in Schopenhauer’s essays “Parerga and Paralipomena” (1851), but with a different terminology. Epictetus called for turning challenges into opportunities for personal growth but Schopenhauer acknowledged that this isn’t always possible. If someone is suffering from terminal illness, I would find it insulting to categorise his situation as a chance for personal growth. Leaving aside the aspects of personal growth, it is true that both Epictetus and Schopenhauer called for cultivating mental strength and resilience, risk avoidance, and stress reduction to the maximum extent. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/schopenhauers-philosophy-of-life-in-daily-practice/