“The greatest satisfaction comes not from chasing pleasure and avoiding pain, but from the radical acceptance of life as it is, without fighting and clinging to passing desires.”

“The end of life is not to be happy, nor to achieve pleasure and avoid pain, but to do the will of God, come what may.”

“Suffering comes from desire, not from pain.”

“One of the greatest satisfactions in life comes from getting things done and knowing you have done them to the best of your ability.”

“The difficulty we have in accepting responsibility for our behavior lies in the desire to avoid the pain of the consequences of that behavior.”

“Pleasure is oft a visitant; but pain
Clings cruelly to us.”

“Hate comes from the past, fear from the future. Pain and pleasure are now, and therefore their own trap.”

“At this stage, some people might advise me to focus on pleasure and avoid any kind of pain—But where can we hide from pain when it finds us unprepared?”

“We are content to accept without testing any belief that fits in with our prejudices and whose truth is necessary for the satisfaction of our desires.”

“The aim of the wise is not to secure pleasure, but to avoid pain.”