Far concludes that he has nothing extreme
Far concludes that he has nothing extreme
On the other hand, we condemn with righteous indignation and despise men who become so captivated and disillusioned by the allure of the moment's pleasure, so blinded by desire that they do not anticipate that pain and discomfort. may what is to come; And the same fault lies with those who fail in their duty because of the weakness of the will, which is tantamount to shrugging through toil and pain. These cases are completely simple and easy to distinguish. In a spare hour, when our power of choice is unstoppable and when nothing is able to enable us to do what pleases us best, every joy should be welcomed and every pain avoided.
But in certain circumstances and because of duty claims or business obligations it often happens that pleasures have to be forsaken and annoyances have to be accepted. The wise man therefore always holds to this principle of choice in these cases: he rejects pleasures in order to obtain other greater pleasures, or else he endures pain to avoid worse pain.
Nor is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain one's own pain, not because it is pain, but because sometimes there are circumstances in which toil and pain may bring him some great pleasure. can do. To take a trivial example, who among us ever does strenuous physical exercise, apart from getting some benefit? But who has the right to find fault in someone who wants to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequence, or who avoids the pain that does not result in pleasure?