The art of getting things done effectively and inexpensively underlies the philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860). His theory of the will (“life force”) warns us against the lethal consequences of giving way to our instincts without looking at the cost and at the long-term consequences.
How do you protect yourself against the negative influence of the will? Schopenhauer advised parsimony, self-reliance and self-awareness.
Those habits can help us counteract the will and make better decisions. I wholeheartedly endorse Schopenhauer’s advice in this respect. His own life offers compelling illustrations about how to practise those habits.
In addition to pointing to Schopenhauer’s lifestyle, I advise everybody to read the biography of Benjamin Franklin (1706-1790). You can read Franklin’s autobiography or any biography of his available on the market.
Virtues in Schopenhauer’s philosophy of life
The fact that Benjamin Franklin had been born eighty-two years earlier than Schopenhauer doesn’t prevent me from using Franklin as a vivid example of the lifestyle and ethics favoured by Schopenhauer.
I’m talking about high personal effectiveness and everything that goes with it. Ask yourself which lifestyle and virtues help increase personal effectiveness? Schopenhauer provided solid answers: self-reliance, risk avoidance, prudence, maintaining a wide margin of safety, awareness and alertness.
You will find all those virtues in Franklin’s approach to self- improvement. He made a list of thirteen virtues (temperance, industry, humility, etc.) with the goal of improving his personal effectiveness.
Franklin also devised a system for acquiring those virtues. I regard his system as excessively prescriptive, but many people have practised it successfully.
The system devised by Franklin asks for concentrating each week on practising one specific virtue. For instance, you could focus on acquiring the habit of punctuality for one week. In the system devised by Franklin, you are supposed to keep a journal to track your daily progress and identify improvement areas.
The goal of Schopenhauer’s philosophy of life
Schopenhauer never came with such precise prescriptions in his quest for happiness. His approach was more comprehensive and abstract than Franklin’s method for self-improvement.
The book “On the fourfold root of the principle of sufficient reason,” written by Schopenhauer in 1808, attributes numerous detrimental human actions to biological forces. Ten years later, in “The world as will and representation,” Schopenhauer took this idea further.
For Schopenhauer, rational thinking and rational behaviour are the best methods for minimizing the influence of the will. I find it useful to break down his recommendation into detailed prescriptions, such as Franklin’s twelve virtues.
Nonetheless, one shouldn’t confuse the goal with the path to achieve it. The paths proposed by Schopenhauer and Franklin are somewhat similar but their goals are different. Franklin was pursuing moral perfection, which is an abstraction. In contrast, Schopenhauer was in search of happiness here and now.
Schopenhauer regarded effectiveness as a means to an end, not as a goal in itself. He didn’t care about achieving perfection unless perfection was linked to happiness. Self-awareness and prudence are fine, but you shouldn’t forget that happiness is the primary objective.
Franklin emphasized rigorous, systematic self-examination and self-discipline. His prescriptions are so harsh and stringent that make us forget their purpose. His autobiography and other writings recommend a morally upright life, but seldom speaks of joy and pleasure.
Wealth in Schopenhauer’s philosophy of life
Take for instance Franklin’s saying, “Early to bed and early to rise make a man healthy, wealthy and wise.” Schopenhauer would have taken such a recommendation with a grain of salt.
If you practise joyful hobbies that cannot be accommodated in the morning, why on earth would you relinquish them? Note that the promise of health, wealth and wisdom is not credible. I fail to see that early-risers are systemically more effective than other people.
Franklin also advised skill development, time management, and industriousness. Those are beneficial habits but you should not lose sight of your primary objective.
Happiness is the desired destination. All other aspects play a subordinate role. For instance, skill development requires very strong motivation, which is dependant on the relation between the concerned skills and your primary goal. It is a well-known fact that highly motivated students learn faster than their peers.
Industriousness in Schopenhauer’s philosophy of life
When it comes to industriousness, Schopenhauer differed in his recommendation. While Franklin viewed hobbies as wasted time, Schopenhauer advised artistic contemplation because it is good for reducing stress and gaining a fresh perspective.
If you work all the time, you will deprive yourself of joyful experiences. You do not need to spend large sums to engage in artistic contemplation, whether it involves music or literature. I must also point out that regular breaks help improve creativity and productivity.
Franklin’s virtues shouldn’t be taken to the extreme because moral perfection is contextual. For instance, when he says that “honesty is the best policy,” he is forgetting that honesty could get you killed or robbed when you are dealing with criminals.
Schopenhauer was much more realistic in his prescriptions of effectiveness. He placed cautiousness above optimism, and risk avoidance about good luck. He favoured steadiness but not in the face of dire failure. He also gave more credence to life’s feedback than to positive thinking.
You won’t lose much by following Franklin’s advice “never to leave for tomorrow what you can do today,” but his sayings cannot help you design strategies and set priorities.
The search for happiness is more complex than Franklin’s ambitions of moral perfection. It requires combining business-like effectiveness, self-awareness, and philosophical depth.
If you are interested in applying rational ideas to your life, in particular for problem solving, I recommend you my book “Rationality is the way to happiness.”