Dark Philosophy Quotes That Will Keep You Up at Night
It is 2021 at night on a random day, and I was bored,
so I decided to watch some YouTube videos.
I wanted something new.
The algorithm recommended a video explaining the philosophy
of Arthur Schopenhauer as one of the darkest philosophies.
With zero hesitation, I clicked and was blown away by this alien way of thinking.
It is mind-blowing what the mind can create and think.
Great philosophers who lived throughout the ages have shown us
that different ways of thinking are entirely alien to
what our society encourages.
The philosophical quotes in this article are meant
to enlighten your mind and open your eyes to new perspectives in life.
While some may challenge everything you stand for
or believe in, approach them all with a logical mind.
Social comformity and truths
“The more powerful and original a mind, the more it will incline towards the religion of solitude.” — Aldous Huxley
I am lucky to meet a lot of geniuses and intelligent people,
a lot of them are not socially available, and they love small circles.
Society is full of people who wear masks
and agree to anything without thinking.
I have a very intelligent friend who is opposed
to many social rules created by society,
and upon examining his reasons, you will likely agree with him.
“The less talent they have, the more pride, vanity, and arrogance they have. All these fools, however, find other fools who applaud them.” — Erasmus
I see this often in politics, where people come together
not for the sake of truth, but for pride in what they believe is true.
I learned that most people don’t care about the truth at all;
they just want something or someone to oppose and point fingers at.
“The mass of men lead lives of quiet desperation.” — Henry David Thoreau
It is a life with no freedom of choice,
and that’s leading to misery and desperation.
I know a person who has a wonderful job, follows every society rule,
and attends meetings.
People see what’s on the surface,
but never the desperate life he lives privately.
Social manipulation
“When you want to help people, you tell them the truth. When you want to help yourself, you tell them what they want to hear.” — Thomas Sowell
People don’t really care about the truth.
They want someone to confirm their fantasies and boost their ego.
I often see this fact among politicians who prioritize
their own interests over the nation’s, primarily to maintain their power.
They go on interviews to promise people what they want to be promised.
Power and respect
“Nothing is more despicable than respect based on fear.” — Albert Camus
People who attain high power understand that others respect them out of fear,
rather than out of love or admiration for their leadership.
There are great leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela,
who have inspired millions and are loved, but they are indeed rare.
You can observe this truth at your workplace among managers and CEOs.
Self-awareness
“Above all, don’t lie to yourself.” — Fyodor Dostoevsky
A person who constantly lies to others will eventually lie to themselves
and lose trust in their own judgment.
That’s the beginning of a miserable life.
He loses his friends and becomes alien to his own soul,
for what he says doesn’t correlate with what he believes in.
I used to be a person who wore many personas
and projected fakeness onto others.
But one day I realized that it was I who wasn’t authentic;
I didn’t know myself, what my choices were in life, or what I wanted.
Ever since I got rid of these personas and started being authentic,
my life has started becoming simpler and better.
Growth and suffering
“No tree can grow to heaven unless its roots reach down to hell.” — Carl Jung
The road to heaven is through hell.
People don’t build an excellent character, achieve individuation,
or become better unless they walk the road of suffering.
I daydream a lot and always imagine myself saving others,
solving difficult problems, and leading people toward a better life.
However, I realized that to become that person,
I need to be mentally and emotionally strong, more empathetic,
accept differences in others, manage my own emotions,
and create a symbol, which is not easy at all.
If that’s my heaven,
then my hell is going through life’s most difficult tests.
Fools and ego
“A fool contributes nothing worth hearing and takes offense at everything.” — Aristotle
It is always the most egotistic person
who doesn’t have anything concrete to give.
The fastest way to know a fool is by how entitled and proud they are.
Don’t be so quick to judge people based on their image
because those who invest
all their resources in their image have nothing worth beneath.
The will to live
“Sometimes even to live is an act of courage.” — Seneca
If you read some of Arthur Schopenhauer’s work
and other pessimistic philosophers, you will think life has no meaning.
After learning about some of his work, I became nihilistic
and didn’t care about anything because, in the end,
we are all going to die, and many things in life don’t matter.
This moment made me understand suicidal people
and how to relate to them.
Living and existing
“It is not death that a man should fear, but he should fear never beginning to live.” — Marcus Aurelius
Most people exist, but they don’t truly live. It is simply said,
but most people don’t truly understand what it means to live.
We think we are living, but we are doing what society thinks living is.
Many of our ideas are not our own; our thoughts are borrowed,
and our choices are often predetermined.
The question I developed to help me make better choices
and make decisions that satisfy my soul is:
Is this what I really want or what I want people to think I want?
If the answer is tied to family, friends, or a trend, it is not the answer.
Final thought
I love philosophy for its independent ideas and thoughts.
Rarely do we meet a person who shares unique views in daily life.
Feel free to share any philosophy quote that stuck with you,
and tell us a quote that resonates deeply with you.
Also, read: Quotes So Rare, You’ve Probably Never Heard Them Before
