But I must explain to you how this whole false idea of condemning pleasure and praising pain arose, and I will give you a full description of the system, and give you the actual teachings of the great seeker of truth, the master builder of human happiness. No one rejects, loves, or avoids pleasure itself because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally face consequences that are extremely painful. Again, there is no one who loves or pursues or wants to get pain on his own because it is pain, but sometimes there are circumstances where labor and pain can give him great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever takes strenuous exercise except to obtain some advantage But who has the right to blame a man who chooses to enjoy pleasure which has no irritating consequences, or one who avoids pain which does not is it fun?
On the other hand, we denounce with righteous indignation and distaste for men who are so seduced and demoralized by the charms of momentary pleasure, so blinded by desire, that they cannot foresee the pain and trouble which are sure to follow; and the same fault belongs to those who do not perform their duties through weakness of will, which is the same as to say through the avoidance of labor and pain. These cases are absolutely simple and easy to distinguish. In the hour of leisure, when our freedom of choice is not limited and when nothing prevents us from doing what we like best, we should welcome every pleasure and avoid every pain. But under certain circumstances, and owing to the demands of debt or the obligations of business, it often happens that pleasures must be rejected and troubles accepted. Therefore a wise man always observes in these matters this principle of selection: he rejects pleasure in order to obtain other greater pleasures, or else he endures pain in order to avoid worse pains.

But I must explain to you how this whole false idea of condemning pleasure and praising pain arose, and I will give you a full description of the system, and give you the actual teachings of the great seeker of truth, the master builder of human happiness. No one rejects, loves, or avoids pleasure itself because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally face consequences that are extremely painful. Again, there is no one who loves or pursues or wants to get pain on his own because it is pain, but sometimes there are circumstances where labor and pain can give him great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever takes strenuous exercise except to obtain some advantage But who has the right to blame a man who chooses to enjoy pleasure which has no irritating consequences, or one who avoids pain which does not is it fun?
On the other hand, we denounce with righteous indignation and distaste for men who are so seduced and demoralized by the charms of momentary pleasure, so blinded by desire, that they cannot foresee the pain and trouble which are sure to follow; and the same fault belongs to those who do not perform their duties through weakness of will, which is the same as to say through the avoidance of labor and pain. These cases are absolutely simple and easy to distinguish. In the hour of leisure, when our freedom of choice is not limited and when nothing prevents us from doing what we like best, we should welcome every pleasure and avoid every pain. But under certain circumstances, and owing to the demands of debt or the obligations of business, it often happens that pleasures must be rejected and troubles accepted. Therefore a wise man always observes in these matters this principle of selection: he rejects pleasure in order to obtain other greater pleasures, or else he endures pain in order to avoid worse pains.