Schopenhauer: The Difference Intellect Makes

In the following quote, Arthur Schopenhauer implies that those who are less intelligent have a less mysterious view of existence:

"The more unintelligent a person is, the less mysterious existence seems to him."

Art clock Schopenhauer

By this he means that unintelligent people see the world as it is rather than trying to find hidden meaning in things. For them, existence is just a string of everyday events without any greater meaning.

On the surface, this quote may seem negative. After all, what does it say about us if we are not smart enough to recognize the mystery of life? However, we can assume that Schopenhauer meant to imply that this is a good thing. The German philosopher is best known for his work on pessimism, so it would make perfect sense. After all, unintelligent people are more likely to be content with their lives and less likely to be plagued by existential fears.

In other words: Less intelligent people may be happier because they don't think about things too much.

However, intelligence offers you a world of mystery that fascinates you on a level that the mundane things of life do not. It allows you to see that there is so much more than what is visible at first glance, and that can be a very rewarding experience.

Even if being less intelligent makes you happier in some ways, it's worth considering the benefits of a more mysterious view of existence. After all, you could say that it's the mystery that makes life worth living.

But (you knew there would be a but, didn't you?) even though there is no better or worse in the question of what is the better situation, there is still something you should consider:

When you ask yourself meaningful questions, you undeniably open up more facets in your life. It may not always be easy to think about our role in the vastness of the universe, but one thing is certain: it's much more exciting than simply going about your daily life without asking:

• Why do we exist?
• What is the meaning of life?
• What is important?

These are big questions with no easy answers, but they're worth thinking about. And that's what our blog is all about. We're exploring ways to live better, and what better way to do that than by harnessing the philosophical knowledge of humanity?

What do you think? Is it better to settle for a less mysterious view of existence, or is it worth searching for the hidden meaning of life, even if it means being miserable at times? We'd love to hear your thoughts in the comments below!