Thomas Hobbes (1588–1679)

From Human Nature

THE COMPARISON of the life of man to a race, though it hold not in every part, yet it holdeth so well for this our purpose, that we may thereby both see and remember almost all the passions before mentioned. But this race we must suppose to have no other goal, nor other garland, but being foremost, and in it:To endeavour, is appetite.
To be remiss, is sensuality.
To consider them behind, is glory.
To consider them before, is humility.
To lose ground with looking back, vain glory.
To be holden, hatred.
To turn back, repentance.
To be in breath, hope.
To be weary, despair.
To endeavour to overtake the next, emulation.
To supplant or overthrow, envy.
To resolve to break through a stop foreseen, courage.
To break through a sudden stop, anger.
To break through with ease, magnanimity.
To lose ground by little hindrances, pusillanimity.
To fall on the sudden, is disposition to weep.
To see another fall, is disposition to laugh.
To see one out-gone whom we would not, is pity.
To see one out-go whom we would not, is indignation.
To hold fast by another, is to love.
To carry him on that so holdeth, is charity.
To hurt one’s-self for haste is shame.
Continually to be out-gone, is misery.
Continually to out-go the next before, is felicity.
And to forsake the course, is to die.

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