Let us move on. Cruel pleasures comprise the third sort wepromised to analyze. This variety is today exceedingly commonamongst men, and here is the argument they employ to justify them:we wish to be roused, stirred, they say, 'tis the aim of every manwho pursues pleasure, and we would be moved by the most activemeans. Taking our departure from this point, it is not a questionof knowing whether our proceedings please or displease the objectthat serves us, it is purely a question of exposing our nervoussystem to the most violent possible shock; now, there is no doubtthat we are much more keenly affected by pain than by pleasure: thereverberations that result in us when the sensation of pain isproduced in others will essentially be of a more vigorouscharacter, more incisive, will more energet
