Pain and fear and hunger are effects of causes which can be foreseen and known: but sorrow is a debt which someone else makes for us.

Summary

This quote suggests that while pain, fear, and hunger can often be anticipated and understood as consequences of certain actions or circumstances, sorrow is different. Sorrow is portrayed as a debt imposed upon us by someone else - implying that it is a feeling or burden caused by the actions or choices of others, rather than something inherent to our own experiences. It implies a sense of powerlessness in the face of sorrow, as we are not in control of the factors that lead to it.

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