Pain and Pleasure

Mr Pain and Mr Pleasure are two sides of the same coin. They are both jolly good fellows living together side by side in perfect harmony. They know each other’s boundaries. That is what I call their rules of engagement or their code of conduct. As long as Mr Pleasure maintains its own role and does not interfere with the role of Mr Pain, they can both live together in peace.

Trouble starts when Mr Pleasure crosses its own territory and begins to encroach on Mr Pain’s land. Think of the pleasure you get when you are eating the food you enjoy most. Alternatively, think of the delight that comes from doing the thing that gives you the greatest joy. You feel it should never end.  

 So long as you know when enough is enough, you are keeping to the rule of engagement. You break the rule the moment you exceed your boundary and go on eating more than what your body can take or doing more of the thing than your physical and mental ability can sustain.  That is when Mr Pain steps in to restrain Mr Pleasure from going beyond his territory.  

The two play Checks and Balance roles for each other. One cannot exist without the other. Therefore, the next time you have a box of your favourite chocolate on the table, or a bottle of your favourite wine, (mine is red) know when enough is enough before Mr Pain steps in. Think wise.