61. Our wrong judgments have regard to future good and evil only.
But since our voluntary actions carry not all
the happiness and misery that depend on them along with them in their present performance, but are the precedent
causes of good and evil, which they draw after them, and bring upon us, when they themselves are past and cease
to be; our desires look beyond our present enjoyments, and carry the mind out to absent good, according to the
necessity which we think there is of it, to the making or increase of our happiness. It is our opinion of such a
necessity that gives it its attraction: without that, we are not moved by absent good. For, in this narrow scantling
of capacity which we are accustomed to and sensible of here, wherein we enjoy but one pleasure at once, which,
when all uneasiness is away, is, whilst it lasts, sufficient to make us think ourselves happy, it is not all remote and
even apparent good that affects us. Because the indolency and enjoyment we have, sufficing for our present
happiness, we desire not to venture the change; since we judge that we are happy already, being content, and that
is enough. For who is content is happy. But as soon as any new uneasiness comes in, this happiness is disturbed,
and we are set afresh on work in the pursuit of happiness.
