It is not disgraceful for man to yield to pain, and it is disgraceful … — Pensées

Pensées — Blaise Pascal

It is not disgraceful for man to yield to pain, and it is disgraceful to yield to pleasure. This is not because pain comes to us from without, and we ourselves seek pleasure; for it is possible to seek pain, and yield to it purposely, without this kind of baseness. Whence comes it, then, that reason thinks it honourable to succumb under stress of pain, and disgraceful to yield to the attack of pleasure? It is because pain does not tempt and attract us. It is we ourselves who choose it voluntarily, and will it to prevail over us. So that we are masters of the situation; and in this man yields to himself. But in pleasure it is man who yields to pleasure. Now only mastery and sovereignty bring glory, and only slavery brings shame.

Место: Part I, 1, 2, c. 1, section 4.[44] · ¶494
Лицензия: Public domain · Источник
Текст приведён как в издании, без правок.

← НазадДальше →Проверить свою цитату