It is a terrible thing to be happy! How pleased we are with it! How all-sufficient we think it! How, being in possession of the false aim of life, happiness, we forget the true aim, duty!

The argument that coming into existence is always a harm can be summarized as follows: Both good and bad things happen only to those who exist. However, there is a crucial asymmetry between the good and the bad things. The absence of bad things, such as pain, is good even if there is nobody to enjoy that good, whereas the absence of good things, such as pleasure, is bad only if there is somebody who is deprived of these good things.

It is a dangerous thing to be satisfied with ourselves.

There is nothing deemed harmful (in general) that cannot be bene􀀭cial in some particular instances, and nothing deemed beneficial that cannot harm you in some circumstances. The more complex the system, the weaker the notion of Universal.

I think I'm afraid of being happy because whenever I get too happy something bad always happens.

What is the worth of any thing,
But for the happiness 'twill bring?

There is a joy in danger.

If you didn't do anything that wasn't good for you it would be a very dull life. What are you gonna do? Everything that is pleasant in life is dangerous. Have you noticed that? I'd like to find the bastard that thought that one up.

We hope all danger may be overcome; but to conclude that no danger may ever arise would itself be extremely dangerous.

The danger in trying to do good is that the mind comes to confuse the intent of goodness with the act of doing things well.

Such as harm is when it hurts me not, is good which avails me not.

My point is not that everything is bad, but that everything is danger­ous, which is not exactly the same as bad. If everything is dangerous, then we always have something to do. So my position leads not to apa­thy but to a hyper- and pessimistic activism. I think that the ethico-political choice we have to make every day is to determine which is the main danger.

'Tis impious pleasure to delight in harm.
And beauty shou'd be kind, as well as charm.

...some say that Happiness is not Good for Mortals & they ought to be answerd that Sorrow is not fit for Immortals & is utterly useless to any one a blight never does good to a tree & if a blight kill not a tree but it still bear fruit let none say that the fruit was in consequence of the blight.