  There is, of course, the other option:  Affirmation of the will to life in light of self-knowledge.  This must be a genuine option, for Schopenhauer, otherwise the choice to affirm or negate would not constitute a true choice. Interestingly, Schopenhauer spends little time exploring this option. Perhaps he thought that anyone with true self-knowledge would experience an anagnorisis or moment of tragic recognition, and, ashamed and horrified at the will to life within him, would generally choose negation over affirmation.  It was left to Nietzsche and his grappling with tragedy and pessimism, to question whether affirmation might yet be a defensible option.