And yet the fear of death hovers over our minds. I have tried to persuade people not to be afraid of death. I have tried to argue that it is foolish to entertain the fear of death when everyone must die one day or another. The death of one who is afraid of it will be more miserable than that of one who is not. And yet, I find that man is more of a coward than brave.
Fear is a natural instinct, whereas courage needs a lot of effort.
Stoics in all ages have said that Eros is the progeny of the mind of man. If you do not think of it, it will never seize you. And yet, it is these stoics themselves who have time and again been possessed by Eros. Celibacy has been such a rare and exacting discipline that one is forced to the conclusion that it is alien to the nature of man. I wonder why we run away from things towards which we are naturally inclined and run after things that are artificial.