The World as Will and Idea, Vol. I — Arthur Schopenhauer, trans. Haldane & Kemp
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The translator’s English as printed (R. B. Haldane & J. Kemp). The original-language text is not held; names are romanised as the translator printed them.
Besides the intelligible and the empirical character, we must mention a third which is different from them both, the acquired character, which one only receives in life through contact with the world, and which is referred to when one is praised as a man of character or censured as being without character.
Certainly one might suppose that, since the empirical character, as the phenomenon of the intelligible, is unalterable, and, like every natural phenomenon, is consistent with itself, man would always have to appear like himself and consistent, and would therefore have no need to acquire a character artificially by experience and reflection.
But the case is otherwise, and although a man is always the same, yet he does not always understand himself, but often mistakes himself, till he has in some degree acquired real self-knowledge.
The empirical character, as a mere natural tendency, is in itself irrational; nay,more,its expressions are disturbed byreason, all the more so the more intellect and power of thought the man has; for these always keep before him what becomes man in general, as the character of the species, and what is possible for him both in will and in deed.
This makes it the more difficult for him to see how much his individuality enables him to will and to accomplish.
He finds in himself the germs of all the various human pursuits and powers, but the difference of degree in which they exist in his individuality is not clear to him in the absence of experience ; and if he now applies himself to the pursuits which alone correspond to his character, he yet feels, especially at particular moments and in particular moods, the inclination to directly opposite pursuits which cannot be combined with them, but must be entirely suppressed if he desires to follow the former undisturbed. For as our physical path lypon ^rth is alwi^e^
39*
THE WORLD AS WILL.
BK. IV.
merely a line, not an extended surface, so in life, if we desire to grasp and possess one thing, we must renounce and leave innumerable others on the right hand and on the left. If we cannot make up our minds to this, but, like child at the fair, snatch at ever^hing that attracts us In passing, we are making the perverse endeavour to change' the line oT our path into an extended surface ; we run in a zigzag, skin about like a will o* the wisp, and attain to nothing. Or, to use another comparison, ~as, according to Hobbes* philosophy of law, every one has an original right to everything but an exclusive right to nothing, vet can obtain an exclusive right to particular things by renouncing his right to all^the rest, while others, on tlmir pijt,~^"IiE^l3e wiffi regard to what he has chosen ; so is it in life, in which ^me definite pursuit,~wTrether"Tt~Be^^easure, honour, wealth, science, art, or virtue, can only be followed with seriousness and success when all claims that are foreign to it are given up, when e^ryffihg else is renpunced Accordingly, the mere will and the mere ability are not sufficient, but a man must also know what he wills, and Tctww what he can do •, only then will he show character, and only then can he accomplish something right Until he attains to that, notwithstanding the natural consistency of the empirical character, he is without character. And although, on the whole, he must remain true to himself, and fulfil liis course, led by. his dffimoiLjyet his path will not be a straight line, Imt waverings and u^ He wiU hesitate, deviate turn back, lay up for himself repentance and pam! And'all this is because^ ini great and small^ he sees before him all that is possible and attaina.bie for man in general,~burdoes not know what part of all this is alone suitable for" lum, can^l^ accomplished by him,,^ and is alone enioyable~Bvlum. He will, therefore, envy many men on account of a position and circumstances which are yet~ only suitable to their "Varactors anid not to bis, and in which he_ would feel unhappy, if indeed he foundp. 393 them endurable at all. For as a fish is only at home in water, a bird in the air, a_ mole in Jihe earth, so eve^ man is onTy at^ome in the atmosphere suitable to him. For example, not all men can breathe the air "or court
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