In a discussion about pessimism in Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860), we must begin by defining our terms. Before you engage any philosophical discussion, you should ask people to define their terms. It’s a waste of time to argue for or against an idea, if words are being misinterpreted. Misunderstandings are a widespread ground for litigation. I regard Schopenhauer’s pessimism as a myth because those who affirm it are distorting the term “pessimism.” If someone makes an accurate assessment of risks and rewards, you cannot call it pessimism. If someone gathers facts carefully and draws an inevitable conclusion, you cannot call it pessimism. One should not categorise ideas as “pessimistic” if they do not entail negative distortions. Pessimism means calling a glass “half-empty” when it is filled at fifty per cent. However, if the glass is filled at one fifth, it is not pessimistic to call it “almost empty.” It is just an accurate description of the facts. Schopenhauer described human life accurately in his work “The world as will and representation” (1818) and then gave a great deal of sound advice in his “Aphorisms about the art of living” (1851) about how to reduce risks and enjoy life. Why do people persist in calling Schopenhauer pessimistic? The answer to this question is psychological. If you label ideas as pessimistic, you don’t need to debate them, and you can get away with spreading delusions by calling them “optimistic” or “positive.” Actually, people who favour blind optimism are causing an avalanche of suffering. If the glass is filled at one fifth, you are not helping anyone by calling it “substantially filled” or “filled to a sizeable level.” It is in your interest to avoid inaccurate information because it leads to bad decisions. Imagine that instead of a glass, we are talking about the fuel tank of an aircraft. Pilots need to know if the tank is filled at one fifth or one third. It would be foolish to call someone “pessimistic” because he tells you the truth. The myth of Schopenhauer’s pessimism becomes obvious if we compare his works with those of actual pessimists such as Miguel de Unamuno (1864-1936), Fyodor Dostoevsky (1821-1881) and August Strindberg (1849-1912). Here is the link to the original article: https://johnvespasian.com/the-myth-of-schopenhauers-pessimism/