Do you, like a skilful weigher, put into the balance the…
“Do you, like a skilful weigher, put into the balance the pleasures and the pains, near and distant, and weigh them, and then say which outweighs the other? If you weigh pleasures against pleasures, you of course take the more and greater; or if you weigh pains against pains, then you choose that course of action in which the painful is exceeded by the pleasant, whether the distant by the near or the near by the distant; and you avoid that course of action in which the pleasant is exceeded by the painful.”
About This Quote
This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.
We should weigh immediate and distant pleasures and pains, choosing actions where pleasure outweighs pain and avoiding the opposite.
In simple terms: Balance pleasure and pain over time.
Key Takeaway
Choose actions that maximize overall happiness.
Themes
ethics
decision-making
hedonism
Mood
reflective
thoughtful
Type
philosophical
ethical
When to use this quote
- personal decisions
- policy choices
- financial planning
- health choices
Key Concepts
utilitarianism
consequentialism
temporal discounting
Questions to Reflect On
- How do you assess distant versus immediate outcomes?
- What criteria guide your choices?
A Different Perspective
Balancing short-term desires with long-term consequences can be difficult.