SCHOPENHAUER: Why Some People Are Easily Offended (And How to Protect Yourself)

Schopenhauer’s writings outside of his great philosophical magnum opus, The World as Will and Representation, are full of psychological observations.

One such observation, concerns people who are easily offended.

The sensitivity of these people arises from the fact that they are thoroughly subjective, as most people are. The word “subjective” has a specific meaning here.

It means that these people regard everything through the lens of their own person and experience, and are unable to take an objective, that is to say, disinterested, viewpoint. Therefore, everything that appears before their mind’s eye, everything they experience, is colored by their own personality.

Because the common man lacks the intelligence to assume the objective viewpoint, he is stuck viewing things subjectively. In other words, he cannot help but put his personality behind everything. In short: everything is personal.

And when everything is personal, everything can offend.

Another side-effect of having this exceedingly subjective view, is a certain kind of narcissism in conversation. Everything is always about them, and whenever you bring something up, they need to relate whatever you just said to themselves.

Because people always find a reason to make everything about them, and are drawn to whatever affects them personally, the cynical Schopenhauer remarks that it’s really easy to win them over by flattery.

Because their opinions are not formed by objective standards but subjective ones, their opinion is easily influenced.

If you want to defend yourself against this manipulation, the solution is to occupy your mind with things other than yourself. In other words, to inject some objectivity into your life. The most straightforward way to do this is by studying philosophy or even reading literature or doing math. In general, the way to escape the subjective viewpoint is to train your mind to engage with big, abstract ideas. The further those ideas are removed from day-to-day reality, the better.

[WeltgeistYT]

Next week's video will be more of a deep dive into Schopenhauer's philosophy. Stay tuned. In the mean time, if you enjoyed this video, please like and subscribe and leave a comment for the algorithm. It helps out the channel a great deal. Thank you for watching & all the support!

[zane]

Pretty accurate. I've found that people who are easily offended seem to have very low self esteem, and so they do everything in their power to silence anyone who might bring out those particular feelings in someone -- envy, inferiority, etc. It hurts them that there are objective truths about life, and that the universe is mechanistic and uncaring. As a result, they retreat to a sort of fantasy-land mindset where everything is subjective and emotions rule discourse.

[FutureMindset]

People in general tend to have a really hard time viewing things from other people's perspectives. Being offended is, in many cases, a sign that one hasn't taken the time to properly examine an opposing viewpoint.

[jdwagman]

From my experience I have observed that when people are in some kind of emotional crisis they become overly sensitive. The something can happen when they are physically sick or injured too. "Don't touch me, don't even breath on me." Most people just react to others sensitivity rather than try to read it and have any real empathy for them. They don't know how to read the sign. But on the other hand some get offended easily just to be antagonistic or the get attention. So you must learn to discern between the them.

You can see so much when you learn to be observant. ... which requires you to be more objective rather than subjective. I can tell that someone has back pain by observing their gait and the way the hold their arms and shoulders. ... even what part of the back that is hurting. Also when someone is weighted down by financial problems, or social pressures, or have low self-esteem by observing their posture. So the people I know I am always looking for deviations away from their normal behavior.

The sad truth is that when someone is down the others around them just react by kicking them. This is a good sign that they are "fair weather friends" that don't really care about you.

[mykura]

His view about psychology: 'psychology is nothing for there is no psyche or soul, you cannot study man for himself alone but only in connection with the world, macrocosm and microcosm at the same time'. (From 'Life of Arthur Schopenhauer' by Wallace, 1890.) So technically he was a social scientist or sociologist:)

[fdddff]

I think the fact that more intelligent human beings are better able to detect their own narcicistic tendencies and act up on does not mean that they score lower on the narcicistic spectrum.

[tiervexx]

This is another one of Schopenhauer's views that maybe would benefit from more context about what made him think this in his life. I've known people who twist everything into being about them as he describes, but I also have known trouble makers who actually are trying to attack people, but then try to act innocent if the person they are attacking grows a spine. Furthermore, subjectivity can't be avoided. The belief that one is perfectly objective is the ultimate sign someone has no self awareness into their own emotions. A lot of topics in ethics, aesthetics and politics can't be studied objectively in the way that math or physics can be. It is normal, and rational to be offended when someone actually is trying to attack you.

[CoolMoneyU]

Asking the 'easily offended' to study philosophy and mathematics is not going to happen. They would rather ban his works for being offensive.

[jackbarry]

Yes. Most (of us) people indeed ARE as self-absorbed as Big S claimed.

[alienlifeform]

One of the main reasons why people react so subjectively about things is because they've been through the educational institution, with its "I must obey" the teacher and curriculum or else I will be punished. The problem with school and its methodology is, that it takes children away from self-discovery and self-assessment and leaves it to the subject material and tests to determine their very superficial awareness of how life actually works. As the whole point of compulsory 'Prussian" model was to create obedient worker bees, it became necessary to belittle and punish children for not being interested in certain subjects or topics each and every day. This is very wearing on a child's self-confidence and self-awareness. How do I know it's true? This video and people's behaviour clearly demonstrate that truth. We have had generation after generation worn down by the school system, mass media and mind control techniques where what remains for a growing percentage of the population is the fear that if their views are not accepted, then violence and emotional triggering become an acceptable form of behaviour. On and on it goes. Remove children from their parents and the whole civilization deteriorates to the point we're at now, particularly blaming European culture and whites for all the ills of society. Isn't it interesting that the loudest of the complainers tend to be white liberal feminist women who've not had children or enough to give them a sense of real purpose and fulfillment. Instead, we have psycho bitches who want to parent everyone, especially the men who put up with their narcissistic and destructive behaviour and, by all intents and purposes, facilitate society's pathological need for power, control and safe spaces. What a mess.

[Amantducafe]

I came to this conclusion, when i was young, after some debates on the internet when i took many things personal when they were not.

Now i embrace criticism, i like when people attack me because i can test how much maturity i'd achieved but also measure other's people attacks as their level of maturity. Someone using ad hominem, or cheap fallacies against me helps me portray an image of their line of reasoning but also i have found that the people that joke or use sarcasm in clever ways are actually very informed or educated in a topic.

[MrWaterbugdesign]

Yes, most people seem to think subjectively. I've always thought that was a good thing because as said they're easily manipulated which I found helpful in business and romance.

I really liked the astrology quote. I never understood why people believe in such things and now it makes sense. Thank you Mr Schopenhauer.

[dlloydy]

Brilliant. Accurate in my view & relatable today despite the work being circa 150 years old.

[a.wenger]

I think it's natural for people to be self-absorbed. It's a necessary behavior for the preservation of life.
One can go too far with it of course, and make oneself vulnerable to flattery, but to completely deny this instinct is also wrong I think. That's completely on brand though, for Schopenhauer's life denying philosophy.

[bryanutility]

He has some good points. I care what people close to me think because I care about them. Not the same as seeking constant validation from strangers etc…

[benjaminburns]

Is it any wonder then, in this unprecedented era of offense that objectivity is so denigrated (even by some here in the comments).

[FelixSkura]

It’s sad when this relates heavily to your parents.

[holistichealthandphilosoph]

this wonderfully put, from the thinking mind. we can also view this mind from one step higher as the strings of the puppet. and yet another step, no words but flawless, this is true seeing.

[markparlett]

Isn't the aim of a balanced human being to be conscious of the oscillation between objectivity and the personal/emotional fields? Aren't we all striving for a fluent dance between understanding, and our place in this ephemeral material plane? To arrive at an inner sanctum that allows us to act in basic dignity through all the senses and awareness?...thoughts..

[michaelhenry]

I don't see what this has to do with me.