Nietzsche's situation with Schopenhauer is the same with Wagner. He started off in total agreement with him then later turns on him. But can never escape him. Nietzsche in the end was Schopenhauer's ideal even in how he lived his actual life. Nietzsche even pays tribute to Schopenhauer in the concept of the overman as he states kindness is the highest virtue of such. Nietzsche's disagreement seems to be over what he believes is Schopenhauer's view of compassion for human suffering which is born out normal empathy. He believes its taken to a level were its a Christian fetishization of suffering. Were the overman's sense of compassion is from a natural empathy without such. In the end Nietzsche even ponders if the type of practices that Schopenhauer mentions are needed to create self realization and even his character Zarathustra is a device to this ideal and much a salute to Schopenhauer however with Nietzsche's aim towards such.

Schopenhauer believes that untamed desires lead to disaster and one should overcome such by practices to transform the will of life towards a higher goal. Nietzsche states the will or desire should be embraced and used to build the worthwhile life in the world he believes that Schopenhauer is denying life in how he comes to the situation of life.

However both understood the individual needs to have internal spiritual-psychic development to become a higher being. How they choose to then orientate their own model around such psychologically and idealistically is whatever. And that is what the ancient philosophers also understood its internal spiritual development that is the goal to be an ancient philosopher one had to be a spiritual practitioner.