Some of us waste our whole lives avoiding one and seeking the other. Those who hold themselves responsible and accountable for what they get in life, however, know they can't have it both ways. They would rather be free than comfortable. They know they cannot act toward pleasure and refuse to act toward pain. Living leads to action.
Action leads to cause.
Cause leads to effect. This is the nature of things and the nature of karma. If we are willing to be held responsible for triumph, we have to be willing to be held responsible for failure. Knowing that we are the pilots of our own lives puts us in control. No longer are we imprisoned by a world that rains bad luck on us arbitrarily.