In a fundamentally irrational and contradictory world, man is called to live his life being exposed at every moment, on the one hand, to pain and sorrow, on the other hand, to the deceptive nature of this world, which promises a fantastical and unattainable happiness.

The correct assessment of the true value of the goods of life is based on their distinction into three categories: what one is, what one has, and what one appears to be in the eyes of others. The analysis of these categories reveals the priorities that one must set in their decisions and choices. Given the nature of the world in which we live, it also provides specific practical principles and recommendations for guiding man in the pursuit of the kind and measure of happiness that is attainable in his life. The "Aphorisms" are the work that brought Schopenhauer out of obscurity and made him known to a wide readership. Although a text of popularized philosophy, it constitutes an excellent introduction not only to the thought of Schopenhauer himself, but also to basic issues of practical philosophy in general. The "Aphorisms" are at the same time an outstanding example of both the artistic writing and the caustic critical spirit of the philosopher.