Q0341
“What a person is contributes more to his happiness than what he…” — Arthur Schopenhauer (Aphorisms on the Wisdom of Life)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Aphorisms on the Wisdom of Life. Theme: happiness.
English
What a person is contributes more to his happiness than what he has.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Aphorisms on the Wisdom of Life and files it under Voluntarism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Arthur Schopenhauer
Arthur Schopenhauer (1788–1860) was a German philosopher of pessimism whose The World as Will and Representation fused Kantian phenomena with a blind metaphysical will. Largely ignored while Hegel dominated Berlin, he later won fame influencing artists and psychologists.
How to read this passage
Greek eudaimonia, Buddhist analyses of craving, utilitarian happiness, and modern well-being research all contest the meaning of a good life. This passage enters that discussion through happiness, character.
Concepts in this quote
- Happiness
- Happiness—or flourishing—is a central aim in ethics: what makes a life go well, and whether pleasure alone is enough.
- Character
- Character appears in this archive as a live philosophical concern—not a slogan. These verified English passages show how thinkers treat character as a problem of judgment, practice, or explanation.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Arthur Schopenhauer. (n.d.). What a person is contributes more to his happiness than what he has. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0341
MLA: Arthur Schopenhauer. “What a person is contributes more to his….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0341.
Chicago: Arthur Schopenhauer. “What a person is contributes more to his….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0341.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “What a person is contributes more to his…”?
The passage is attributed to Arthur Schopenhauer, Aphorisms on the Wisdom of Life. The archive attributes this English wording to Aphorisms on the Wisdom of Life and files it under Voluntarism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Arthur Schopenhauer mean by happiness?
Greek eudaimonia, Buddhist analyses of craving, utilitarian happiness, and modern well-being research all contest the meaning of a good life. This passage enters that discussion through happiness, character.