"In these pages, I will talk about the Wisdom of Life in the common sense of the word, as the art of regulating our lives in such a way as to draw the greatest possible enjoyment and success; an art whose theory we can call Eudaimonology, as it teaches us how to exist happily. If we see it from a purely objective perspective, or rather after calm and mature thought - since the issue necessarily involves subjective judgments - happy existence can perhaps be defined as an existence that we would clearly prefer over non-existence, something that implies that we should persist in it because of its own value and not just out of fear of death and even, never desire it to reach an end."

Schopenhauer is one of the few philosophers who can be understood without interpretive notes. He claims that all his theories arise directly from life itself, that they are inspired by observation, and that they interpret the world as it is; and that, regardless of his opinion, he insists on invoking the experience of everyday life.