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1914 translation by H. Rackham

“But I must explain to you how all this mistaken idea of denouncing pleasure and praising pain was born and I will give you a complete account of the system, and expound the actual teachings of the great explorer of the truth, the master-builder of human happiness. No one rejects, dislikes, or avoids pleasure itself, because it is pleasure, but because those who do not know how to pursue pleasure rationally encounter consequences that are extremely painful. Nor again is there anyone who loves or pursues or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but because occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure. To take a trivial example, which of us ever undertakes laborious physical exercise, except to obtain some advantage from it? But who has any right to find fault with a man who chooses to enjoy a pleasure that has no annoying consequences, or one who avoids a pain that produces no resultant pleasure?”

Section 1.10.33 of “Extremes of Good and Evil”, written by Cicero in 45 BC

“User editable look and dislike men who are most worthy of hatred just to accuse and to appease with a ready pleasant flattering of her or else he can not foresee the pain and trouble to ensue they are blinded by desire,, and equal blame belongs to those who forsake the duties of weakness of will, it is pleasure and pain. These cases are perfectly simple and easy to distinguish. Nam release tempore, The option of choosing and when nothing prevents us with an unmarried woman is less than that which is well pleasing in the highest degree we may be able to do, est omnis voluptas assumenda, all pain. But in certain circumstances and the duty or the obligations of business it will frequently occur that pleasures have to be repudiated and annoyances accepted. In a free hour, therefore, selected for these matters to this, or else he endures pains to avoid worse consequences other greater pleasures, or to rejecting some pains.”

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