“It is clear that men accept an immediate pain rather than an immediate pleasure, but only because they expect a greater pleasure in the future. Often the pleasure is illusory, but their error in calculation is no refutation of the rule. You are puzzled because you cannot get over the idea that pleasures are only of the sense; but, child, a man who dies for his country dies because he likes it as surely as a man eats pickled cabbage because he likes it.”

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Originally said in English.

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About W. Somerset Maugham

English writer, early 20th century

W. Somerset Maugham was an English writer of the early 20th century, known for his plays, novels, and short stories. He became widely read for work that combined clear storytelling with sharp observation of people and society. His writing includes plays, novels, and short fiction, and his reputation rests on the range and steady craftsmanship of that body of work.

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