The sorrows of this life far outweigh its joys

October 22, 2021 • 1 min

From The Sinner’s Guide, page 304

What, then, is human glory but the song of the siren which lures men to destruction, a sweet but poisoned cup, a viper of brilliant colors breathing only venom? It attracts us only to deceive us; it elevates us only to crush us.

Consider, moreover, what a return it exacts for all that it gives.

  • Grief at the loss of a child far exceeds the joy of its birth.
  • Loss gives us more pain than profit gives us joy.
  • The affliction of sickness far exceeds the pleasure of health.
  • An insult wounds us more than honor flatters us.

For nature dispenses joys and sorrows so unequally that the latter affect us much more powerfully than the former.

These reflections manifestly prove the delusiveness of worldly happiness.

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