There are many valuable thinkers nowadays, but the wisdom of the classics cannot be replaced. A very important classic is Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860).

Among 19th century philosophers, Arthur Schopenhauer was among the first to contend that at its core, the universe is not a rational place. Inspired by Plato and Kant, both of whom regarded the world as being more amenable to reason, Schopenhauer developed their philosophies into an instinct-recognizing, mystical, and essentially ascetic outlook, emphasizing that in the face of what he believed to be a world filled with endless strife, we ought to minimize our natural desires in order to achieve a more tranquil frame of mind and a disposition towards universal beneficence. Often considered to be a thoroughgoing pessimist, Schopenhauer in fact advocated ways — via artistic, moral and ascetic forms of awareness — to overcome what he considered to be a frustration-filled and fundamentally painful human condition. Since his death in 1860, Schopenhauer’s philosophy has had a special attraction for those engaged in music, literature, and the visual arts. - Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy

Schopenhauer, sometimes called “the gloomy philosopher”, believed that people are perpetually unhappy because they are pushed by a natural will to strive forever without ever being satisfied. He believed that this natural will could be controlled through the intellect and thus reduce people’s suffering.

Our life is like a journey on which, as we advance, the landscape takes a different view from that which it presented at first, and changes again, as we come nearer. This is just what happens–especially with our wishes. We often find something else, nay, something better than what we were looking for; and what we look for, we often find on a very different path from that on which we began a vain search. Instead of finding, as we expected, pleasure, happiness, joy, we get experience, insight, knowledge–a real and permanent blessing, instead of a fleeting and illusory one.  - Arthur Schopenhauer

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