SCHOPENHAUER: Why It Pays to Play Dumb

READ: Balthasar Gracian’s Pocket Oracle and Art of Worldly Wisdom: WATCH: Schopenhauer: How to Be Alone: Arthur Schopenhauer is not always concerned with great metaphysical or ethical ideas concerning the nature of reality and the universe. In writings other than his main work, written near the end of his life, he takes it upon himself to give his readers practical advice for day to day life. A lot of his advice deals with the question of how to move through society. And invariably, Schopenhauer’s elitism will shine through. Without shame, Schopenhauer writes about the dumb masses versus the intelligent genius, and how such a genius should conduct himself in polite society. When a person of great intellect is forced to mingle in polite company, the best thing to do, according to Schopenhauer, is to play dumb. The reason why it pays so well to play dumb, is because intelligence in other people rouses a great feeling of resentment and envy. Intelligence is the object of so much envy because we do not feel like we deserve our intelligence. To have it, means you are in possession of an unfair advantage which you did not earn yourself. The same psychology is at play when we are jealous of someone who inherited a large sum of money. It doesn’t matter if he’s a legitimately good businessman or investor and took great care to increase his inheritance instead of wasting it. If this person would flaunt his wealth and rub it in your face how much money he has, we would not like him for it to say the least. He quotes approvingly from Balthasar Gracian’s Oracle of Worldly Wisdom, one of his favorite texts.