--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Pleasure is the first good. It is the…" description: "\"Pleasure is the first good. It is the beginning of every choice and every aversion. It is the absence of pain in the body and of troubles in the soul.\"..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e63/epicurus-1642_absence_pleasure-is-the-first-good-it-is-the-beg_3028967.jpg" --- # Pleasure is the first good. It is the beginning of every… ![“Pleasure is the first good. It is the beginning of every choice and every aversion. It is the absence of pain in the body and of troubles in the soul.” quote by Epicurus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e63/epicurus-1642_absence_pleasure-is-the-first-good-it-is-the-beg_3028967.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e63/epicurus-1642_absence_pleasure-is-the-first-good-it-is-the-beg_3028967.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/e63/epicurus-1642_absence_pleasure-is-the-first-good-it-is-the-beg_3028967.jpg) > “Pleasure is the first good. It is the beginning of every choice and every aversion. It is the absence of pain in the body and of troubles in the soul.” [Epicurus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epicurus/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. Pleasure is presented as the primary good, driving all choices and aversions, defined as freedom from bodily pain and mental distress. **In simple terms:** Pleasure is the main good, avoiding pain and trouble. Key Takeaway Seek pleasure by reducing pain and anxiety. Themes ethics philosophy hedonism Mood thoughtful philosophical Type ethical hedonistic When to use this quote - daily decisions - health choices - stress management Key Concepts epicureanism well‑being Questions to Reflect On - Is pleasure always the best guide? - How balance pleasure with responsibility? A Different Perspective Pleasure alone may neglect deeper values or duties. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Absence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/absence/) [Aversion](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/aversion/) [Beginning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beginning/) [Beginning Choice](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/beginning-choice-4939059/) [Body](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/body/) [Choices](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/choices/) [Firsts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/firsts/) [Happiness](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/happiness/) [Pain](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pain/) [Pleasure](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasure/) [Pleasure Good](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/pleasure-good-252043/) [Soul](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/soul/) [Trouble](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/trouble/) ## Related quotes > [Remember, you can't change what has happened, but you can build a new beginning, one choice at a time.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/craig-williams/remember-you-can-t-change-what-has-happened-but-you-can-build-a-new/) [Craig Williams](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/craig-williams/) > [Often when you see these Black Widow types, you see from the beginning that they have made a choice of how and who they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/neve-campbell/often-when-you-see-these-black-widow-types-you-see-from-the-beginning/) [Neve Campbell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/neve-campbell/) > [Pleasure is our first and kindred good. It is the starting point of every choice and of every aversion, and to it we always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epicurus/pleasure-is-our-first-and-kindred-good-it-is-the-starting-point-of/) [Epicurus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epicurus/) > [Take too much pleasure in good things, you'll feel The shock of adverse fortune makes you reel.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace/take-too-much-pleasure-in-good-things-you-ll-feel-the-shock-of/) [Horace](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace/) > [Sex is nice and pleasure is good for you.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/dossie-easton/sex-is-nice-and-pleasure-is-good-for-you/) [Dossie Easton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/dossie-easton/) > [The pleasure of a good act is something to be remembered - not in order to feed our complacency but in order to remind…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/thomas-merton/the-pleasure-of-a-good-act-is-something-to-be-remembered-not-in-order/) [Thomas Merton](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/thomas-merton/) > [Pleasure is in itself a good; nay, even setting aside immunity from pain, the only good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jeremy-bentham/pleasure-is-in-itself-a-good-nay-even-setting-aside-immunity-from/) [Jeremy Bentham](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jeremy-bentham/) > [“I'm going to give you pleasure so good you'll forget your name... You're going to think my name is Yes, God Yes, or Fuck…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jacintha-topaz/i-m-going-to-give-you-pleasure-so-good-you-ll-forget-your-name-you-re/) [Jacintha Topaz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jacintha-topaz/) > [We have had enough, once and for all, of Hedonism--the gloomy philosophy which says that Pleasure is the only good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/c-s-lewis/we-have-had-enough-once-and-for-all-of-hedonism-the-gloomy-philosophy/) [C. S. Lewis](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/c-s-lewis/) > [It gives me great pleasure, a good name. I always in writing start with a name. Give me a name and it produces a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/j-r-r-tolkien-2/it-gives-me-great-pleasure-a-good-name-i-always-in-writing-start-with/) [J. R. R. Tolkien](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/j-r-r-tolkien-2/) > [Wine gives great pleasure; and every pleasure is of itself a good. It is a good, unless counterbalanced by evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/samuel-johnson/wine-gives-great-pleasure-and-every-pleasure-is-of-itself-a-good-it/) [Samuel Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/samuel-johnson/) > [We are prone to seek immediate pleasure or good, however small, rather than remote pleasure or good, however vast.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/horace-mann/we-are-prone-to-seek-immediate-pleasure-or-good-however-small-rather/) [Horace Mann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/horace-mann/) > [I wish everyone gives me attention because when you get attention it is a pleasure, it is something good.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-van-gerwen/i-wish-everyone-gives-me-attention-because-when-you-get-attention-it/) [Michael van Gerwen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-van-gerwen/) > [“I did not yet know that my lack of enjoyment - my distaste, my suffering even - would be considered normal and even desirable…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-atwood/i-did-not-yet-know-that-my-lack-of-enjoyment-my-distaste-my-suffering/) [Margaret Atwood](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-atwood/) > [It is a sin to persue pleasure as a good and to avoid pain as a evil.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/marcus-aurelius/it-is-a-sin-to-persue-pleasure-as-a-good-and-to-avoid-pain-as-a-evil/) [Marcus Aurelius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/marcus-aurelius/) ## More by Epicurus > [Most beautiful is the sight of those near and dear to us when our original kinship makes us of one mind.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epicurus/most-beautiful-is-the-sight-of-those-near-and-dear-to-us-when-our/) [Epicurus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epicurus/) > [Any man who does not think that what he has is more than ample, is an unhappy man, even if he is the master…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epicurus/any-man-who-does-not-think-that-what-he-has-is-more-than-ample-is-an/) [Epicurus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epicurus/) > [“The opinions held by most people about the gods are not true conceptions of them but fallacious notions, according to which awful penalties are…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epicurus/the-opinions-held-by-most-people-about-the-gods-are-not-true/) [Epicurus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epicurus/) > [Death is nothing to us: for that which is dissolved is without sensation; and that which lacks sensation is nothing to us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epicurus/death-is-nothing-to-us-for-that-which-is-dissolved-is-without/) [Epicurus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epicurus/) > [Neither one should hesitate about dedicating oneself to philosophy when young, nor should get tired of doing it when one's old, because no one…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epicurus/neither-one-should-hesitate-about-dedicating-oneself-to-philosophy/) [Epicurus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epicurus/) > [If thou wilt make a man happy, add not unto his riches but take away from his desires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epicurus/if-thou-wilt-make-a-man-happy-add-not-unto-his-riches-but-take-away/) [Epicurus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epicurus/) > [Being happy is knowing how to be content with little](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epicurus/being-happy-is-knowing-how-to-be-content-with-little/) [Epicurus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epicurus/) > [Injustice is not evil in itself, but only in the fear and apprehension that one will not escape those who have been set up…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epicurus/injustice-is-not-evil-in-itself-but-only-in-the-fear-and-apprehension/) [Epicurus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epicurus/) > [Riches do not exhilarate us so much with their possession as they torment us with their loss.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epicurus/riches-do-not-exhilarate-us-so-much-with-their-possession-as-they/) [Epicurus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epicurus/) > [I have never wished to cater to the crowd; for what I know they do not approve, and what they approve I do not…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epicurus/i-have-never-wished-to-cater-to-the-crowd-for-what-i-know-they-do-not/) [Epicurus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epicurus/) > [The pleasant life is not produced by continual drinking and dancing, nor sexual intercourse, nor rare dishes of sea food and other delicacies of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epicurus/the-pleasant-life-is-not-produced-by-continual-drinking-and-dancing/) [Epicurus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epicurus/) > [Be moderate in order to taste the joys of life in abundance.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epicurus/be-moderate-in-order-to-taste-the-joys-of-life-in-abundance/) [Epicurus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epicurus/) > [If the gods have the will to remove evil and cannot, then they are not all-powerful. If they are neither able nor willing, they…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epicurus/if-the-gods-have-the-will-to-remove-evil-and-cannot-then-they-are-not/) [Epicurus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epicurus/) > [Of all things which wisdom provides to make life entirely happy, much the greatest is the possession of friendship.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/epicurus/of-all-things-which-wisdom-provides-to-make-life-entirely-happy-much/) [Epicurus](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/epicurus/) > [Death does not concern us, because as long as we exist, death is not here. 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