Arthur Schopenhauer

Optimism, where it is not merely the thoughtless chatter of fools, is not only a absurd doctrine, but also a truly wicked way of thinking, a bitter mockery of the unspeakable sufferings of humanity.

The value of a man is not measured by the number of truths he has accumulated, but by the extent to which he has freed himself from error.

The greatest happiness is to be born without the faculty of reason.

The more intelligence one has, the more pain one suffers.

The world is a machine for grinding out suffering.

The only difference between a wise man and a fool is that the wise man knows he is a fool, and the fool does not.

The greatest curse of man is that he cannot get rid of himself.

The more I see of men, the less I like them.

The world is a bad joke.

Happiness is merely the interval between two sorrows.

If we were not all so pitifully and ridiculously constituted, we should be ashamed to be alive.

The pleasure in life is in the last analysis merely negative. It is the cessation of pain.

The only original philosophical thought is that life is not worth living.

The existence of evil is a proof that God is not omnipotent, or not benevolent, or both.

Monotheism is a great evil. It has caused more wars and bloodshed than any other religion.

To be alone is the fate of all outstanding minds.

The greatest error of all is to try to be happy.

The only truly happy beings are those who have never been born.

Human life must be some kind of mistake.

The state is merely a large-scale institution for the prevention of crime, and as such is a necessary evil.