The World as Will and Idea (Vol. 3 of 3) — Schopenhauer — John Shaqi
The World as Will and Idea (Vol. 3 of 3)
Schopenhauer · en
their souls, the heart of the matter is for the most part the agreement or
suitableness pointed out here with reference to the being which is to be
produced and its perfection, and which is also clearly of much more
importance than the harmony of their souls, which often, not long after
the marriage, resolves itself into a howling discord. Now, here come in
the further relative considerations, which depend upon the fact that every
one endeavours to neutralise by means of the other his weaknesses,
defects, and deviations from the type, so that they will not perpetuate
themselves, or even develop into complete abnormities in the child which
is to be produced. The weaker a man is as regards muscular power the more
will he seek for strong women; and the woman on her side will do the same.
But since now a less degree of muscular power is natural and regular in
the woman, women as a rule will give the preference to strong men.
Further, the size is an important consideration. Little men have a decided
inclination for big women, and _vice versâ_; and indeed in a little man
the preference for big women will be so much the more passionate if he
himself was begotten by a big father, and only remains little through the
influence of his mother; because he has inherited from his father the
vascular system and its energy, which was able to supply a large body with
blood. If, on the other hand, his father and grandfather were both little,
that inclination will make itself less felt. At the foundation of the
aversion of a big woman to big men lies the intention of nature to avoid
too big a race, if with the strength which _this_ woman could impart to
them they would be too weak to live long. If, however, such a woman
selects a big husband, perhaps for the sake of being more presentable in
society, then, as a rule, her offspring will have to atone for her folly.
Further, the consideration as to the complexion is very decided. Blondes
prefer dark persons, or brunettes; but the latter seldom prefer the
former. The reason is, that fair hair and blue eyes are in themselves a
variation from the type, almost an abnormity, analogous to white mice, or
at least to grey horses. In no part of the world, not even in the vicinity
of the pole, are they indigenous, except in Europe, and are clearly of
Scandinavian origin. I may here express my opinion in passing that the
white colour of the skin is not natural to man, but that by nature he has
a black or brown skin, like our forefathers the Hindus; that consequently
a white man has never originally sprung from the womb of nature, and that
thus there is no such thing as a white race, much as this is talked of,
but every white man is a faded or bleached one. Forced into the strange
world, where he only exists like an exotic plant, and like this requires
in winter the hothouse, in the course of thousands of years man became
white. The gipsies, an Indian race which immigrated only about four