Page 32 - The Legacy of Abraham Rothstein - text

Pneumonia and pessimism

breathing, his shoulders moved up and down like a machine. He
suffered for somebody else’s pleasure; in this case, money.
What, then, do we live for, and what is there to be enjoyed in this
poor life? Well, real enjoyment is in what interests us, the things we
want to know about. To know life, or rather, to study life in general,
which means the sciences, is the greatest pleasure. There is no limit to
knowledge; life is as deep as space and time. To observe a baby’s
behavior and development, the littlest bird or smallest insect, the
plant that lives, grows, and dies, is far more interesting and enjoyable
than possessing a lot of precious stones, which we hide for fear of
being robbed, or owning lots of houses, in all of which we cannot
sleep—or because of which we cannot sleep at all for worry that the
state might someday confiscate them or an heir squander them on
vain pleasures. One can tire of the so-called pleasures of life, like sex,
fancy food, drinks and games, but the pleasure in finding facts of
interest about life—and even death—is never ending and never
tiresome.

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