who does not see the vanity of the world is himself very vain.
Indeed who do not see it but youths who are absorbed in fame, diversion, and
the thought of the future? But take away diversion, and you will see them
dried up with weariness. They feel then their nothingness without knowing
it; for it is indeed to be unhappy to be in insufferable sadness as soon as
we are reduced to thinking of self and have no diversion.
165. Thoughts.--In omnibus requiem quaesivi.21 If our condition were truly
happy, we not need diversion from thinking of it in order to make ourselves
happy.
166. Diversion.--Death is easier to bear without thinking of it than is the
thought of death without peril.
167. The miseries of human life has established all this: as men have seen
this, they have taken up diversion.
168. Diversion.--As men are not able to fight against death, misery,
ignorance, they have taken it into their heads, in order to be happy, not to
think of them at all.
169. Despite these miseries, man wishes to be happy, and only wishes to be
happy, and cannot wish not to be so. But how will he set about it? To be
happy he would have to make himself immortal; but, not being able to do so,
it has occurred to him to prevent himself from thinking of death.
170. Diversion.--If man were happy, he would be the more so, the less he was
diverted, like the Saints and God. Yes; but is it not to be happy to have a
faculty of being amused by diversion? No; for that comes from elsewhere and
from without, and thus is dependent, and therefore subject to be disturbed
by a thousand accidents, which bring inevitable griefs.
171. Misery.--The only thing which consoles us for our miseries is
diversion, and yet this is the greatest of our miseries. For it is this
which pri
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