Pain and Pleasure.

Nature has put man under two sovereign masters i.e. pain and pleasure, wrote Jeremy Bentham. Therefore, one must always look to contribute towards 'greatest happiness of the greatest number'. With this simple dictum, Bentham revolutionized the world of ethics, politics, and to some extent law. Be it the act of the individual or any policy of the state; it must be judged according to this maxim of utility.Simple!

But imagine if pain and pleasure are bonded together. Inextricably attached to one another in such a way that you can not increase one with out increasing the other. What becomes of utilitarianism then? The maximum happiness seems to generate maximum pain as well. The Stoics were cognizant about this fact when they warned the individual against hedonism. Seeking greatest happiness also meant confronting greatest pain and suffering. Popper's negative utilitarianism seems to have been influenced by Stoic thought. Where are we heading towards then? Should we accept a tentative life style based on moderation? Is there no room for one's ambitions or desires?

There is still room for passion and ambitions. One must have to change the way one thinks about life. In order to live authentically, one must pursue one's happiness or goal but with the belief that every goal will bring with it some sort of suffering in the form of hardship. The greatest the goal, the greatest the pain. So, the real authentic man doesn't shy away from pain but rather desires it. Endures it or even at times loves it.