Schopenhauer sees the Will as the fundamental essence of reality—not rational, not teleological, just blind striving. All individual wills are fragments of this insatiable, self-repeating drive, and because it can never be finally fulfilled, suffering is woven into the fabric of existence.

Renunciation for Schopenhauer isn't just a personal coping strategy—it’s a metaphysical rebellion. The ascetic doesn’t just live differently; they negate the very principle that animates the world. Aesthetic experience (like getting absorbed in music or art) temporarily suspends the Will. But only in compassion and asceticism does one actively deny the Will-to-live. It's not a heroic struggle, though—more like a quiet, tragic resignation.

The phrase—“cancel your subscription to Being”—hits the mark. It captures both the grim tone and the radical demand. Where others say “find meaning,” Schopenhauer says: find a way out.