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Now the man destitute of self-control desires either all pleasant

things indiscriminately or those which are specially pleasant,

and he is impelled by his desire to choose these things in

preference to all others; and this involves pain, not only when

he misses the attainment of his objects but, in the very desiring

them, since all desire is accompanied by pain. Surely it is a

strange case this, being pained by reason of pleasure.

As for men who are defective on the side of pleasure, who take

less pleasure in things than they ought, they are almost

imaginary characters, because such absence of sensual perception

is not natural to man: for even the other animals distinguish

between different kinds of food, and like some kinds and dislike

others. In fact, could a man be found who takes no pleasure in

anything and to whom all things are alike, he would be far from

being human at all: there is no name for such a character because

it is simply imaginary.