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It’s not a question of success or failure, but rather of purpose. No fool is happy, and no one wise is unhappy. Fools that we were, we forget past successes and fail to find peace in present ones. One is distressed because he realised too late that he aimed for unreliable things, which caused him to suffer unduly and fail.

Natural desires can be easily satisfied without resorting to ill. The wise person recounts his blessings, limits his desires, and fears nothing, not even death. If he suffers, it will never stop him from feeling more pleasure than pain. A comparison of their lives to those of fools gives them great pleasure.