叔本华的《智慧书》英文版.docx

叔本华的《智慧书》英文版.docx

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叔本华的《智慧书》英文版

1.Characterandintellect.

Thesearethetwopolesofourcapacity;onewithouttheotherisbuthalfwaytohappiness.Intellectisnotenough,characterisalsoneeded.Ontheotherhand,itisthefool’smisfortunetofailinobtainingtheposition,employment,neighborhood,andcircleoffriendsofhischoice.

2.Keepmattersforatimeinsuspense.

Admirationattheirnoveltyheightensthevalueofyourachievements.Itisbothuselessandinsipidtoplaywithyourcardsonthetable.Ifyoudonotdeclareyourselfimmediately,youarouseexpectation,especiallywhentheimportanceofyourpositionmakesyoutheobjectofgeneralattention.Mixalittlemysterywitheverything,andtheverymysteryarousesveneration.Andwhenyouexplain,donotbetooexplicit,justasyoudonotexposeyourinmostthoughtsinordinaryconversation.Cautioussilenceisthesacredsanctuaryofworldlywisdom.Aresolutiondeclaredisneverhighlythoughtof---itonlyleavesroomforcriticism.Andifithappenstofail,youaredoublyunfortunate.Besides,youimitatethedivinewaywhenyouinspirepeopletowonderandwatch.

3.Makepeopledependonyou.

Itisnothethatadornsbuthethatadoresthatmakesadivinity.Thewisepersonwouldratherseeothersneedinghimthanthankinghim.Tokeepthemonthethresholdofhopeisdiplomatic,totrusttotheirgratitudeisboorish;hopehasagoodmemory,gratitudeabadone.Moreistobegotfromdependencethanfromcourtesy.Hethathassatisfiedhisthirstturnshisbackonthewell,andtheorangeoncesqueezedfallfromthegoldenplatterintothewastebasket.Whendependencedisappearsgoodbehaviorgoeswithit,aswellasrespect.Letitbeoneofthechieflessonsofexperiencetokeephopealivewithoutentirelysatisfyingit,bypreservingittomakeoneselfalwaysneeded,evenbyapatrononthethrone.Butdonotcarrysilencetoexcessoryouwillgowrong,norletanother’sfailinggrowincurableforthesakeofyourownadvantage.

4.Avoidoutshiningyoursuperior.

Allvictoriesbreedhate,andthatoveryoursuperiorisfoolishorfatal.Preeminenceisalwaysdetested,especiallyoverthosewhoareinhighpositions.Cautioncanglossovercommonadvantages.Forexample,goodlooksmaybecloakedbycarelessattire.Therearesomethatwillgrantyousuperiorityingoodluckoringoodtemper,butnoneingoodsense,-leastofallaprince-forgoodsenseisaroyalprerogativeandanyclaimofsuperiorityinthatisacrimeagainstmajesty.Theyareprinces,andwishtobesointhatmostprincelyofqualities.Theywillallowsomeonetohelpthembutnottosurpassthem.Somakeanyadvicegiventothemappearlikearecollectionofsomethingtheyhaveonlyforgottenratherthanasaguidetosomethingtheycannotfind.Thestarsteachusthisfinessewithhappytact:

thoughtheyarehischildrenandbrilliantlikehim,theyneverrivalthebrillianceofthesun.

5.Bewithoutpassions.

Thisisthehighestqualityofthemind.Itsveryeminenceredeemsusfrombeingaffectedbytransientandlowimpulses.Thereisnohigherrulethanthatoveroneself,overone’simpulses;thereisthetriumphoffreewill.Whenpassionrulesyourcharacterdonotletitthreatenyourpositionespeciallyifitisahighone.Itistheonlyrefinedwayofavoidingtroubleandtheshortestwaybacktoagoodreputation.

6.Nevertrustyourhonortoanother,unlessyouhavehisinpledge.

Arrangethatsilenceisamutualadvantage,disclosureadangertoboth.Wherehonorisatstakeyoumustactwithapartner,sothateachmustbecarefuloftheother’shonorforthesakeofhisown.Neverfullyentrustyourhonortoanother,butifyouhaveto,letcautionsurpassprudence.Letthedangerbeincommonandtheriskmutual,sothatyourpartnercannotturnking’sevidence.

7.Knowhowtotakeahint.

Itwasoncetheartofartstobeabletodiscourse;nowitisnolongersufficient.Wemustknowhowtotakeahint,especiallyindisabusingourselves.Youcannotmakeyourselfunderstoodifyoudonoteasilyunderstandothers.Therearesomewhoactlikedivinesoftheheartandlynxesofintentions.Theverytruthsthatconcernusmostareonlyhalfspoken,butwithattentionwecangraspthewholemeaning.Whenyouhearanythingfavorablekeepatightreinonyourcredulity;ifunfavorable,giveitthespur.

8.Knowhowtowithdraw.

Ifitisagreatlessoninlifetoknowhowtodeny,itisstillgreatertoknowhowtodenyoneselfasregardsbothaffairsandpersons.Thereareextraneousoccupationsthateatawayprecioustime.Tobeoccupiedinwhatdoesnotconcernyouisworsethandoingnothing.Itisnotenoughforacarefulpersonnottointerferewithothers;hemustseethattheydonotinterferewithhim.Oneisnotobligedtobelongsomuchtoothersadnottobelongatalltooneself.Sowithfriends,theirhelpshouldnotgrabusedormoredemandedfromthemthantheythemselveswillgrant.Allexcessisafailingbutaboveallinpersonalrelationships.Awisemoderationinthisbestpreservesthegoodwillandesteemforall,forbythismeansthatpreciousboomofcourtesyisnotgraduallywornaway.Thusyoupreserveyourgeniusandfreedomtoselectthebestandneversinagainsttheunwrittenlawsofgoodtastes.

9.Knowyourstrongestquality.

Knowyourpre---eminentgift---cultivateitanditwillassisttherest.Everyonewouldhaveexcelledinsomethingifhehadknownhisstrongpoint.Noticeinwhatqualityyousurpassandtakechargeofthat.Insomepeoplejudgmentexcels,inothersvalor.Mostdoviolencetotheirnaturalaptitudeandthusattainsuperiorityinnothing.Timeenlightensustoolateofwhatwasfirstonlyaflatteringofthepassions.

10.Neverexaggerate.

Itisanimportantobjectofattentionnottotalkinsuperlatives,soasneithertooffendtruthnorcastdoubtonyourunderstanding.Exaggerationwastesdistinctionsandshowsthenarrownessofone’sknowledgeortaste.Praiseariseslivelycuriosity,begetsdesireandifafterwardsthevaluedoesnotcorrespondtotheprice---asgenerallyhappens---expectationrevoltsagainstthedeceptionandrevengesitselfbycheapeningboththethingpraisedandthepraiser.Aprudentpersongoesmorecautiouslytoworksandpreferstoerrbyunderstatementthanbyoverstatement.Extraordinarythingsarerare,thereforetemperyourevaluation.Exaggerationisakintolying,andyoujeopardizeyourreputationforgoodtasteand---muchworse---goodsense.

11.Thinkwiththefewandspeakwiththemany.

Swimmingagainstthestreammakesitimpossibletoremoveerrorandeasytofallintodanger---onlyaSocratescanundertakeit.Todissentfromothers’viewsisregardedasaninsult,becauseitisacondemnationoftheirjudgment.Theoffenseisdoubledonaccountofthejudgmentcondemnedandoftheperson,whochampionedit,truthisforthefew,errorisbothcommonandvulgar.Thewisepersonisnotknownbywhathesaysonthepublicsquare,fortherehespeaksnotwithhisownvoicebutwiththatofcommonfolly,howevermuchhisinmostthoughtsmaydenyit.Theprudentpersonavoidsbeingcontradictedasmuchasheavoidscontradictingothers---thoughtheyhavetheirjudgmentreadytheyarenotreadytopublishit.Thoughtisfree;forcecannotandshouldnotbeusedonit.Thewisepersonthereforeretiresintosilenceandifheallowshimselftocomeoutofit,hedoessointheshadeandbeforefewandfitpersons.

12.Avoidincurringobligations.

Thisisoneofthechiefaimsofprudence.Peopleofgreatabilitykeepextremesfarapart,sothatthereisalongdistancebetweenthem.Theyalwayskeepinthemiddleoftheircaution,sotheytaketimetoact.Itiseasiertoavoidcommittingyourselftosomethingthanitistocomeoutofitwell.Suchaffairstestourjudgment---itisbettertoavoidthemthantoconquerinthem.Oneobligationleadstoanotherandmayleadtoanaffairofdishonor.Therearepeoplesoconstitutedbynatureorbynationthattheyeasilyenteruponsuchobligations.Butforthosewhowalkbythelightofreason,suchmattersrequirelongthinkingover.Thereismorevalorneedednottotakeuptheaffairthaninconqueringinit.Whenthereisonefoolreadyfortheoccasion,onemayexcuseoneselffrombeingthesecond.

13.Somuchdependsonbeingapersonofdepth.

Theinteriormustbeatleastasimpressiveastheexterior.Somepeople’scharacterisallfacade,likehousesthat,duetolackofmeans,havetheporticoofapalaceleadingtotheroomsofacottage.Itisnouseboringintosuchpeople---althoughtheywillboreyou---becauseconversationflagsafterthefirstsalutation.TheyprancethroughthefirstcomplimentskikeSicilianstallions,butsilencequicklyfollows.Othersmaybetakeninbythembecausetheythemselveshavesuperficialviews,butnottheprudent,wholookwithinthemandfindnothingthereexceptmaterialsforscorn.

14.Neverbeupset.

Itisagreataimofprudencenevertobeembarrassed.Thisisthesignofarealperson,ofanobleheart,formagnanimityisnoteasilyputoffbalance.Thepassionsarethehumorsofthesoul,andeveryexcessinthemweakensprudence.Iftheyoverflowthroughthemouth,thereputationwillbeindanger.Letusthereforebesogreatamasteroverourselvesthatneitherinthemostfortunatenorinthemostadversecircumstancescananythingcauseourreputationinjurybydisturbingourself-possessionbutratherenhanceitbyshowingsuperiority.

15.Finishoffwell.

Inthehouseoffortuneifyouenterbythegateofpleasureyoumustleavebythatofsorrow,andviceversa.Yououghtthereforetothinkofthefinish,andattachmoreimportancetoahappyexitthantoapplauseonentrance.Itisthecommonl