All of Schopenhauer's answers regarding human relationships.

“One must have no idea how the world works if they think they will become popular through their intelligence and perception.”

“Our Relationship with Others” is an excerpt from the collection of philosophical essays by Arthur Schopenhauer, published in 1851 under the title “Parerga und Paralipomena.”

Schopenhauer himself described this collection as “incomparably more popular than anything else so far,” while thematically complementing perhaps his most famous work, “The World as Will and Representation.”

“Our Relationship with Others” is published as an essential reference point both for scholars of the great German idealist and for the history of philosophy in general.

Why is it preferable to lower our standards a bit in our interactions with others? How is it explained that people are not interested in anything unless it touches them personally? Why are leniency and sincere appreciation towards someone we have just met not the best advisors?

What is politeness after all, and why do we do good to ourselves when we judge others?

With his well-known incisive and undiplomatic style, Arthur Schopenhauer offers to provide answers to these and many other questions, on the condition, of course, that we desire contact with other people despite the fact that “in reality, we should be very happy if we have no relationship with them.”