Always choose the path that seems best even if it seems more difficult…

Always choose the path that seems best even if it seems more difficult. The habit will soon make it pleasant. Pythagoras

Pythagoras (in ancient Greek: Πυθαγόρας / Puthagóras) is a pre-Socratic religious reformer and philosopher who is said to have been born around 580 BC on Samos, an island in the Aegean Sea south-east of the city of Athens; his death was established around 495 BC, at the age of 85. He would also have been a mathematician and scientist according to a late tradition. The name Pythagoras (etymologically, Pythagoras: “the one announced by Pythia”), derives from the announcement of his birth made to his father during a trip to Delphi.

The best path here is the most virtuous, that is to say, the one that places morality above all else. According to Pythagoras, the best path is the one that leads to the highest spheres of human achievement. To do this, we must know how to be discerning at all times and always choose the one that elevates us rather than another that diverts us towards a more obscure goal. Imagine that the summit of a mountain is the goal to be reached and that it is synonymous with bliss and fulfilment. Certainly, if you come to a fork in the road, it is better to choose the path that goes up rather than the one that goes down. The descending path is certainly more pleasant, but it takes you away from what you might aspire to. That is why it is necessary to always choose the uphill path even if it is difficult. On the other hand, it is only in the difficulty that one experiences one’s true character. Without difficulty, one can only have uncertain self-knowledge. Trials strengthen us and make us better if we always stay on the path of dignity. Furthermore, Pythagoras tells us that the habit of courage, i.e. of always choosing the best path, can in the long run become pleasurable since the effort is assimilated and becomes like second nature.