careers
I throw myself down among the tall grass by the
trickling stream; and, as I lie close to the earth,
a thousand unknown plants are noticed by me: when I
hear the buzz of the little world among the stalks,
and grow familiar with the countless indescribable
forms of the insects and flies, then I feel the
presence of the Almighty, who formed us in his own
image, and the breath.
On the other hand, we denounce with righteous
indignation and dislike men who are so beguiled and
demoralized by the charms of pleasure of the moment,
so blinded by desire, that they cannot foresee the
pain and trouble that are bound to ensue; and equal
blame belongs to those who fail in their duty.
In a free hour, when our power of choice is
untrammelled and when nothing prevents our being
able to do what we like best, every pleasure is to
be welcomed and every pain avoided. But in certain
circumstances and owing to the claims of duty or
the obligations of business it will frequently occur
that pleasures have to be repudiated and annoyances
accepted. The wise man therefore always holds in
these matters to this principle of selection: he
rejects pleasures to secure other greater pleasures,
or else he endures pains to avoid worse pains.