Vol. I, Ch. III, The World As Representation: Second Aspect
“
For what is modesty but hypocritical humility, by means of which, in a world swelling with vile envy, a man seeks to beg pardon for his excellences and merits from those who have none? For whoever attributes no merit to himself because he really has none is not modest, but merely honest.
— Arthur Schopenhauer
What It Means
This is a placeholder explanation generated by the low-overhead model. It interprets "For what is modesty but hypocritical humility, by means of which, in a world swelling with vile envy, a man seeks to beg pardon for his excellences and merits from those who have none? For whoever attributes no merit to himself because he really has none is not modest, but merely honest." in the context of "Vol. I, Ch. III, The World As Representation: Second Aspect" to mean that wisdom is timeless.
Source: Wikiquote: "Arthur Schopenhauer" (Quotes, The World as Will and Representation (1819; 1844; 1859): Quotations from translations of Welt als Wille und Vorstellung (first edition published in 1819, the second in 1844, the third in 1859; certain quotes appear only in specific editions) – Also translated as The World as Will and Idea – Full translation online at Wikisource)
The 'What it means' explanation text was generated by Google Gemini Flash (accessed January 26, 2026). https://gemini.google.com/app
Tags
About Arthur Schopenhauer
Arthur Schopenhauer (22 February 1788 – 21 September 1860) was a German philosopher, most famous for his work The World as Will and Representation (1819).
About Arthur Schopenhauer
Arthur Schopenhauer (22 February 1788 – 21 September 1860) was a German philosopher, most famous for his work The World as Will and Representation (1819).
View all quotes →