Love is not cute Schopenhauer

Professor Caverna reflects on love in the eyes of Schopenhauer

By Professor Caverna | OPINION

If you think love is all about butterflies in your stomach, smiles and happy endings, Schopenhauer is here to give you a cold shower with some deep reflection and a good dose of reality. For him, love has nothing to do with fairy tales or that perfect match on a dating app. Want to understand the idea? Click here and we'll explain it to you!

Schopenhauer was a 19th century German philosopher known for his less than optimistic outlook on life. While many people were romanticizing the world, he came along and said, “My friend, life is suffering, and love is just a trap of instinct.” It may sound a bit harsh, but it makes sense within his logic.


He believed that the world is driven by a force called “Will.” But this Will is not the desire to eat chocolate or sleep late; it is a blind, irrational energy that guides all living beings. And guess what? Love is included in this package as part of this Will to live.
Love is not as romantic as we like to imagine. In reality, it is a kind of marketing ploy by nature to ensure that we continue to exist as a species. You know that overwhelming passion that makes you lose your mind? Well, according to him, it is just instinct saying: “Go ahead, reproduce and keep the cycle of life going”. And as cold as it may seem, the thinker analyzed love from a very biological perspective. He said that we are attracted to characteristics that, unconsciously, we think will balance out our flaws and create the best “genetic version” in our future children. For example, someone who is short may be attracted to a tall person, or someone who is shy may be enchanted by an outgoing personality. All of this is linked to the idea of ​​creating an “improved” human being.


Here comes the most controversial and perhaps truest point: Schopenhauer claimed that love comes with suffering. And it's not just because breakups hurt or because the person you love doesn't always reciprocate your feelings. The pain is in the act of loving itself, because it affects our sense of freedom. When we fall in love, we are basically giving a part of ourselves to the other person, becoming vulnerable and, often, dependent.


Furthermore, the philosopher argues that love has a touch of masked selfishness. Deep down, people seek in the other something that satisfies their own desires or needs, even if this comes disguised as altruism. So, while we think we are loving in a pure and selfless way, Schopenhauer is there in the corner, laughing and saying: “You are mistaken, young man!”


If you’re reading this and thinking, “Wow, that’s a harsh view! So there’s nothing good about love?”, calm down! Despite all this bitter analysis, Schopenhauer isn’t saying we should give up on love. He just wants us to understand that it’s more complex and less glamorous than it seems.


Ultimately, he believed that love, even though it is guided by instincts and full of contradictions, is a powerful force that shapes our lives and stories. After all, who has never made an important decision or even moved to another city because of a crush, right?
Now that you’ve delved into this more philosophical perspective, how about thinking about love in a more conscious way? Recognizing that it has its difficult and sometimes even selfish sides can help you better deal with the expectations and challenges of a relationship.


In the end, Schopenhauer wasn't trying to kill love, but to open our eyes to understand that it's not just about "happily ever after." It's a mix of instinct, emotion, and, yes, a pinch of suffering, but that's exactly what makes it so human and so fascinating.


So, the next time you fall in love, remember that, according to him, this is nature giving you that little push to continue the cycle of life. But that doesn't mean you can't live everything intensely, laugh, cry and enjoy every moment. After all, love may be a trick of the Will, but it is a trick that makes life unfold...

So, did you like the general idea? Leave your comment below.

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Note: Dear reader, the objective here is to stimulate your philosophical reflection, nothing more! nothing more!

“They took the primate out of the jungle, but not the jungle out of the primate” – Prof Caverna

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1 comment
  1. Ornivam Fatima Alves Thief

    I loved it so much, a wonderful reflection on the feeling called Love 👏👏👏

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