When I imagine man abounding with all the conveniences that are to be desired, I feel him melting under the weight of his delight, and see him utterly unable to support so pure, so continual, and so universal a pleasure. Indeed, he is running away whilst he is there, and naturally makes haste to escape, as from a place where he cannot stand firm, and where he is afraid of sinking.
When I religiously confess myself to myself, I find that the best virtue I have has in it some tincture of vice; and I am afraid that Plato, in his purest virtue (I, who am as sincere and loyal a lover of virtue of that stamp as any other whatever), if he had listened and laid his ear close to himself and he did so no doubt - would have heard some jarring note of human mixture, but faint and only perceptible to himself. Man is wholly and throughout but patch and motley. Even the laws of justice themselves cannot subsist without mixture of injustice; insomuch that Plato says, they undertake to cut off the Hydra's head, who pretend to clear the law of all inconveniences.
It is likewise true, that for the use of life and the service of public commerce, there may be some excesses in the purity and perspicacity of our minds; that penetrating light has in it too much of subtlety and curiosity: we must a little stupefy and blunt them to render them more obedient to example and practice, and a lttle veil and obscure them, the better to proportion them to this dark and earthly life. And therefore common and less speculative souls are found to be more proper for and more successful in the management of affairs, and the elevated and exquisite opinions of philosophy unfit for business. This sharp vivacity of soul, and the supple and restless volubility attending it, disturb our negotiations. We are to manage human enterprises more superficially and roughly, and leave a great part to fortune; it is not necessary to examine affairs with so much subtlety and so deер: a man loses hirself in the consideration of many contrary lustres, and so many various forms:
Whilst they considered of things so indifferent in themselves, they were astonished, and knew not what to do.
---Livy
当我想象一个人身处于所有事情都称心如意的快乐之中的时候，我会感到他即将在这些快乐的重压下被融化，因为我知道他绝对无法消受如此单纯、持久、完全的快乐。当人身处在那样的情形中时,必定会想要逃离,而且会出于本能地急速逃开,就像逃离一个泥潭一样,因为他在那里站立不稳,担心会沉没其中。
当我虔诚地向自己忏悔时,我发现我所拥有的最优秀的品质中也带有一些邪恶的色彩。如果柏拉图用心聆听(毫无疑问,他确实这样做了)自己最纯洁完美的品德(对于他的这种品德以及其他所有美德,我都给予真诚而忠实的爱戴)，恐怕他会发现其中也夹杂有人类不和谐的音符，那种声音非常微弱，只有他自己才能察觉得到。人完全是一些碎片和杂乱颜色的混合体。即使是公正的法律,其本身也存在着一些不公正成分的混杂物。因此,柏拉图说，任何想要清除法律中所有不尽如人意之处的人，无异于在砍许德拉的头。
同样真实存在的情况是,在生活和社交的要求方面,我们的思想可能有些过于单纯和敏锐。一旦思想镦锐，就会过于精明和好奇;因此,我们一定要让思想变得麻木鲁钝一些，以便更循规蹈矩;要让头脑混沌模糊一些,以便更好地适应阴暗世俗的生活。因此,那些思想平常、好奇心不强烈的人被证明更适合、也能更成功地处理公众事务;而崇高、完美的哲学思想实际上并不适用于日常事务。头脑过于精明、活跃、敏锐和不安分,会破坏人际关系的和谐。我们在对待人与人之间的关系时，不要寻根究底、过于认真,要将大部分的事情留给命运去处理,没有必要把事情分析得过于细致和深入。一个人很容易使自己迷失在对各种矛盾的观点和多种多样的形式的瞻前顾后之中:
当他们在心里考虑各种互不相干的事情时，往往弄得自己头晕脑涨,不知所措。
——李维
It is what the ancients say of Simonides, that by reason his imagination suggested to him, upon the question King Hiero had put to him - What God was (to answer which he had had many days for thought), several sharp and subtle considerations, whilst he doubted which was the most likely, he totally despaired of the truth.
He who dives into and in his inquisition comprehends all circumstances and consequences, hinders his election: a little engine well handled is sufficient for executions, whether of less or greater weight. The best managers are those who can worst give account how they are so; while the greatest talkers, for the most part, do nothing to purpose; I know one of this sort of men, and a most excellent discourser upon all sorts of good husbandry, who has miserably let a hundred thousand livres yearly revenue slip through his hands; I know another who talks, who better advises than any man of his counsel, and there is not in the world a fairer show of soul and
understanding than he has; nevertheless, when he comes to the test, his servants find him quite another thing; not to make any mention of his misfortunes.
这是古人对西摩尼得斯的评价。当国王希尔罗一世请西摩尼得斯给上帝下定义时(他请求了数日的思考时间),他殚精竭虑地想出了几个尖锐而微妙的答案,却不能确定哪个最适合,最后只好垂头丧气地半途而废。
深入调查、想把所有情况和结果考虑得面面俱到的人,往往难以做出选择;能力平平的人,处理起各种事情来反而更加游刃有余。最优秀的管理者通常是最不善于表白他们是如何成为杰出人士的那些人;而佩侃而谈之人，从很大程度上来说,往往一无是处。我认识一个能说会道的人,他说起勤俭节约来口若悬河,但同时却又令人不齿地将十万里弗赫”的年金挥霍一空。我还知道另一个夸夸其谈的人,他的见解比他的谋士更加高明,给人的感觉是这世上没有比他更才华横溢、神采飞扬的人了;然而,在参加考试的时候,他的仆人却发现他像变了个人一样一算了,还是不要提他的那些倒霉事了。
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