At times, however, and with the obligations of office or the necessities of life, it will often happen that pleasures must be repudiated and annoyances accepted. Therefore, the wise person always holds to this selection: either they reject pleasures to secure greater advantages, or they endure pains to avoid worse ones. 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 occasionally circumstances occur in which toil and pain can procure him some great pleasure.
Therefore, wise selection holds fast to these things here, so that either rejecting pleasures results in greater advantages, or enduring hardships and bitter pains is preferred. Truly, they are provident, similar are they who are at fault through failing in their duties due to the weakness of their minds, which is the same as toil and the flight of sorrow. However, at times and owing to certain duties or the necessity of things, it frequently happens that pleasures are rejected and annoyances not refused.
Nor is there anyone who loves, pursues, or desires to obtain pain of itself, because it is pain, but 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? On the other hand, we denounce and with righteous indignation dislike men who are so beguiled and demoralised by the charms of pleasure of the moment, so blinded by desire, that they cannot foresee.