I didn’t become a hardcore realist because life became harder.

I became one because two philosophers forced me to question almost everything I believed.

Their names are Kant and Schopenhauer.

For years, I believed the world worked the way I had been told.

And I did what I had been told to do.

Work hard.

Be kind.

Stay positive.

Expecting that, eventually, everything will work out.

But life started testing those beliefs.

Again and again.

At first, I thought that reality was broken.

Then I realised that my expectations were broken.

That’s where Kant enters the story.

Kant argued that we never experience reality exactly as it is.

That our minds don’t simply observe the world—that they shape the way we perceive it.

That idea fascinated me.

It made me realise that what we call “reality” is always filtered through our own minds.

But then I read Schopenhauer.

Schopenhauer accepted Kant’s insight, yet he asked a more practical question.

Even if our understanding is limited, how can we thrive anyway?

That question changed my life.

Schopenhauer encouraged me to focus on practical solutions.

And the more I did, the more I noticed uncomfortable patterns.

People don’t always reward honesty.

Hard work doesn’t always lead to success.

Logic doesn’t always defeat emotion.

Fairness isn’t built into reality.

Schopenhauer wasn’t surprised by any of this.

He believed human beings are seldom driven by pure reason.

The more I watched people, the stronger I believed Schopenhauer was right.

Then I found myself returning to Kant.

If Kant was right that our minds filter reality, then I had to ask another question.

How many of my disappointments came from reality itself…

…and how many came from stories I keep telling myself?

That realisation hit me hard.

Maybe reality wasn’t constantly letting me down.

Maybe my expectations were.

Schopenhauer would smile at my conclusion.

He believed much of our suffering comes from wishful thinking.

The moment I stopped arguing with reality, life became much easier.

And I focused on finding the patterns that lead to success and happiness.

That’s probably the biggest lesson Schopenhauer taught me.

Reality reveals itself through patterns that are seldom obvious.

And Kant taught me something equally important.

Before judging the world, I should first check my own beliefs.

Together, Kant and Schopenhauer changed the way I think.

Kant made me question what I know.

And Schopenhauer made me realistic about the world.

That combination transformed the way I make decisions.

I’ve learned to judge people by what they do repeatedly.

Actions reveal patterns and patterns reveal the truth.

Ironically, the more I embraced Schopenhauer’s ideas, the more optimistic I became.

Not because I expect life to be fair.

But because I stopped expecting achievements to be quick and easy.

The better I understand reality, the more effective I become.

Kant led me to question my assumptions.

And Schopenhauer taught me to face reality.

And that’s how I became a hardcore realist.

If you are interested in applying rational ideas in all sorts of situations, I recommend my book “The 10 Principles of Rational Living.”