thing only because it restores us to that state. The satisfaction of a desire is a good
thing in exactly the same way: it restores us to health, to tranquility, to fullness.
This is not obviously true, however, for it certainly seems that there is more to
the satisfaction of a desire than the alleviation of dissatisfaction. It is an enjoyable
experience to drink when you’re thirsty and to eat when you’re hungry. If you
never experienced thirst or hunger, you would never have these enjoyments.
Don’t these enjoyments enhance the quality of your life? It is said that Diogenes
of Sinope, the stoic philosopher, would deliberately prolong his experience of
hunger and thirst so that he could more fully appreciate the joys of eating and
drinking. Other stoic philosophers have advised us to voluntarily endure certain
discomforts (such as being cold and wet) so that we might better appreciate
simple comforts (such as being warm and dry).4
On reflection, though, this is rather queer advice. Should I deliberately catch a
cold so that, once I recover, I can better appreciate having good health? Should I
bash my hand with a hammer so that I can experience a pleasant state of relief
when the pain subsides? This would be irrational because, on balance, I would
gain nothing. After recovering from an illness, I might well appreciate having
good health, and the experience of appreciation is a pleasant one. But this
experience is no more pleasant (and probably much less so) than the experience of
illness is unpleasant or painful. Similarly, after the pain of bashing my hand with a
hammer subsides, I would experience relief, and the experience of relief is a
pleasant one. But this experience is certainly no more pleasant (and, I think, much
less pleasant) than the experience of bashing my hand with a hammer is painful.
On balance, then, I would be at least as well off (and probably much better off)
never to have these unpleasant experiences.
The same is true with the experiences of thirst and hunger. These are
unpleasant experiences, and it seems correct to say that the experience of
assuaging thirst or hunger is no more pleasant than the experience of thirst or
hunger is unpleasant. On balance, then, we are not better off as a result of having
these desires. This is not to say, of course, that we would be better off if we never
enjoyed the simple pleasures of eating and drinking. Eating and drinking are
pleasant experiences in their own right, but the pleasure of enjoying food and
drink is something in addition to the mere satisfaction of hunger and thirst. It is
possible to enjoy things—eating a good meal, listening to music, reading a book,