“We must remember that the future is neither wholly ours nor wholly not ours, so that neither must we count upon it as quite certain to come nor despair of it as quite certain not to come.”
Epicurus · Letter to Menoeceus
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Pain does not last continuously in the flesh, but the acutest pain is there for a very short time.
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About this quote
Meaning
This saying offers a practical form of consolation about physical suffering. Epicurus is pointing out that the most intense pain a person can experience tends to be brief, while pain that persists over a longer period tends to be less overwhelming in its severity. The observation is meant to give the mind something to hold onto during suffering: the acute phase will pass, and what lingers is more endurable than it might first appear. It is a rational argument for hope and composure in the face of illness or injury.
Context
This statement comes from the Principal Doctrines, one of the most important surviving records of Epicurean philosophy, preserved by the ancient biographer Diogenes Laertius. Epicurus reportedly suffered from significant physical ailments throughout his life and is said to have written about finding contentment despite them. His philosophy treated the management of pain as a serious subject, arguing that understanding the nature of pain could reduce its power over the mind. This doctrine is part of a broader effort in his system to show that a good life is possible even under difficult physical conditions.
About the author
Epicurus was an ancient Greek philosopher who lived from roughly 341 to 270 BCE. He founded a philosophical school in Athens, the Garden, and produced a large body of writing, most of which survives only in fragments or summaries. His philosophy is best known for its focus on pleasure and tranquility, but it also engaged seriously with questions of pain, fear, and mortality. His ideas have had a lasting influence on Western ethics and continue to attract readers looking for a grounded, practical approach to human happiness.
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