Schopenhauer’s views on love and relationships

John Vespasian explains that Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860) had unduly pessimistic, gloomy ideas on love and relationships. The study of his ideas in this respect serves an educational purpose because it enables us to learn from Schopenhauer’s mistakes. Schopenhauer’s theory of the will (“life force”) underlies his views on love and relationships. This theory predicates that the will is constantly driving all living creatures towards survival, reproduction, and pleasure, without paying attention to the cost and risks involved. From this perspective, Schopenhauer viewed love as driven by the will, which he described as a blind, irrational force. His definition of love is linked to the instinctual nature of the will. According to Schopenhauer, the expression “love is blind” should be replaced by “the will makes you blind and prompts you to make counterproductive choices.” Emotional overdrive leads to infatuation, heartbreak, divorce, and harsh reactions. In contrast to Schopenhauer’s remarks, it’s perfectly feasible for individuals to make good choices in relationships. People are not cattle driven by unconscious forces to engage in rituals that cause suffering down the road. Schopenhauer was wrong when he wrote that love (“intense passion”) leads individuals into unions that ultimately result in suffering. He had witnessed cases that confirmed his theory but had overlooked many other cases that prove the contrary. Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/schopenhauers-views-on-love-and-relationships/