Pleasure or Pain?

 Today we read this in Seneca: "On the day on which he becomes proof against pleasure, he also become proof against pain. See, on the other hand, how evil and guilty a slavery the man is forced to serve who is dominated in turn by pleasures and pains, those most untrustworthy and passionate of masters. We must, therefore, escape from them into freedom."

So when we look at the picture above, with two figures looking at a sign that says pleasure this way and pain that way, Seneca would say to go neither to the right or left, but to rise ABOVE the dichotomy of pleasure and pain to the freedom of living a life of honor and ruled by reason.

If you came to that sign, would you choose pleasure? Does that make you an epicurean? If you choose pain, does that make you a masochist? If you choose neither, are you a nihilist? What about the idea, "No pain, no gain"? Does that mean we must choose pain in order to grow? Of course, Seneca says choose neither and rise above the question. What do you think?

See you tomorrow!