So, I was reading in Spinoza's Ethics ,an online version of the book in the link, and one of the things that I started to wonder about how different is pleasure and pain?!. In part III: On the origin and nature of the affect Spinoza defines pleasure as "passive state wherein the mind passes to a greater perfection" and pain " passive state wherein the mind passes to a lesser perfection". So, they fall on the same line just at different poles. Then, comes the facts that the degree of perception and interpretation is subjective and different for every human. As some humans may have higher threshold to pain some have lower threshold to pleasure therefore need more to be happy. On the contrary, some may be content with so little in life.
Yet, no real similarity have been established...
The line between pleasure and pain disappear some time when you expect a certain end result. Sometimes the mind needs to pass to a lesser perfection to reach perfection. We can take childbirth as an example of pain that end with pleasure, or when you study for a test in a subject you love and get a good grade. Then comes another question, WHAT IF the child died after birth or you failed the test, will we reach the ultimate pain i.e. lesser perfection, and isn't that the same as pleasure i.e. perfection because now you reached the perfect pain. We can say that we found our-self in a "cycle"by Jaz where we go from perfect pain to pleasure which could also mean acceptance of reality...
There is also a point that need to be raised...
What about those who enjoy agony?! is there really pleasure in less than perfect pain?! or was Spinoza talking about the normal individuals. However, haven't we all done it once or twice?! We do things although we know it's going to hurt us. We get attached to people and thing that only cause us pain. What if?! the real intentions is not to enjoy the pain but to punish ourselves sub-consciously for things we did or did not do?! Whatever pain we receive dose not really give pleasure but it provides some relive from a tormented consciences and a helpless soul....
Can these souls reach salvation?!
We always have the key in one hand, the answer and the solution, yet we choose to look away. Those who, or these things that torment us have little or no power over us. We hold the key chain , therefore we hold the power over ourselves and over them. Their existences are a mere coincidence if they did not exist we would have found something else to agonize this loaded shell with sins.
And that's Why forgiveness start from within...
