On September 21, 1860, Arthur Schopenhauer died in Frankfurt, Germany. The son of a wealthy merchant father and a famous writer mother, Schopenhauer briefly attempted a business career and medical studies before turning to philosophy and the humanities.
His decision was philosophy's gain as he went on to become one of Germany's most influential philosophers. Often called "the philosopher of pessimism" because of his opposition to the idealism of Hegel, he was a profound thinker who had an important influence on existential philosophy and Freudian theory. Even though his writing can at times be ponderous, he had frequent flashes of oxymoronic brilliance that make the tough reading worthwhile:

"Many learned persons
have read themselves stupid."

"It is a source of consolation to look back upon
those great misfortunes which never happened."

"It is difficult to keep quiet
if you have nothing to do."

He also authored a chiastic observation that captures an eternal human truth:

"It is a curious fact that
in bad days we can very vividly recall
the good time that is now no more;
but that in good days we have only
a very cold and imperfect memory of the bad."