Whether Sorrow or Pain Weakens All Activity?
Objection 1: It would seem that sorrow does not weaken all activity.
Because carefulness is caused by sorrow, as is clear from the passage
of the Apostle quoted above (A. 2, Obj. 1). But carefulness conduces
to good work: wherefore the Apostle says (2 Tim. 2:15): "Carefully
study to present thyself . . . a workman that needeth not to be
ashamed." Therefore sorrow is not a hindrance to work, but helps one
to work well.
Obj. 2: Further, sorrow causes desire in many cases, as stated in
_Ethic._ vii, 14. But desire causes intensity of action. Therefore
sorrow does too.
Obj. 3: Further, as some actions are proper to the joyful, so are
others proper to the sorrowful; for instance, to mourn. Now a thing
is improved by that which is suitable to it. Therefore certain
actions are not hindered but improved by reason of sorrow.
_On the contrary,_ The Philosopher says (Ethic. x, 4) that "pleasure
perfects action," whereas on the other hand, "sorrow hinders it"
(Ethic. x, 5).
_I answer that,_ As stated above (A. 2), sorrow at times does not
depress or consume the soul, so as to shut out all movement, internal
or external; but certain movements are sometimes caused by sorrow
itself. Accordingly action stands in a twofold relation to sorrow.
First, as being the object of sorrow: and thus sorrow hinders any
action: for we never do that which we do with sorrow, so well as that
which we do with pleasure, or without sorrow. The reason for this is
that the will is the cause of human actions: and consequently when we
do something that gives pain, the action must of necessity be
weakened in consequence. Secondly, action stands in relation to
sorrow, as to its principle and cause: and such action must needs be
improved by sorrow: thus the more one sorrows on account of a certain
thing, the more one strives to shake off sorrow, provided there is a
hope of shaking it off: otherwise no movement or action would result
from that sorrow.
From what has been said the replies to the objections are evident.
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