A man's delight in looking forward to and hoping for some particular satisfaction is a part of the pleasure flowing out of it, enjoyed in advance. But this is afterward deducted, for the more we look forward to anything the less we enjoy it when it comes.

Summary

This quote highlights the paradoxical nature of anticipation and enjoyment. It suggests that the act of eagerly anticipating something gives us a sense of pleasure beforehand. However, when the anticipated event or satisfaction is finally attained, the actual enjoyment might be diminished because the high expectations we had built up beforehand overshadow the reality. In other words, the more we anticipate something, the smaller the pleasure we derive from it when it actually occurs. This quote serves as a reminder to strike a balance between anticipation and present moment enjoyment.

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