For
instance, it questioned what man would stick his head into the
halter of marriage if he first weighed the inconveniences of that
life? Or what woman would ever embrace her husband if she foresaw
or considered the dangers of childbirth and the drudgery of
motherhood? Childhood and senility are the most pleasant stages of
life because ignorance is bliss. Old age forgetfulness washes away
the cares of the mind. A foolish and doting old man is freed from
the miseries that torment the wise and has the chief joy of life:
garrulousness. The seekers of wisdom are the farthest from
happiness; they forget the human station to which they were born
and use their arts as engines with which to attack nature. The
least unhappy are those who approximate the naiveness of the
beasts and who never attempt what is beyond men. As an example, is
anyone happier than a moron or fool? Their cheerful confusion of
the mind frees the spirit from care and gives it many-sided
delights. Fools are free from the fear of death and from the pangs
of conscience. They are not filled with vain worries and hopes.
They are not troubled by the thousand cares to which this life is
subject. They experience no shame, fear, ambition, envy, or love.
In a world where men are mostly at odds, all agree in their
attitude towards these innocents. They are sought after and
sheltered; everyone permits them to do and say what they wish with
impunity.
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