双语智慧书·超然于世俗的愚蠢

209．超然于世俗的愚蠢
　　超然于世俗的愚蠢。这是一个特别的策略。这些愚蠢因为常见而有特别的力量，许多人不被个别的愚蠢误导，但无法摆脱普遍的缺陷。其中包括那些常见的错误：没有谁会对自己的财产感到满足（不管他多么富有），也没有谁会对自己的才智不满（无论他多么愚蠢）。人们不满足于自身的幸福，总是嫉妒他人的幸福。说得更远一点，现在的人总是赞美过去的事物，这里的人总是赞美别处的东西--似乎逝去的事物总是最美好的，遥远的东西都是那么有价值。对一切嗤之以鼻的人和对一切都抱着悲观态度的人，一样愚蠢。


209．Keep yourself free from common follies
　Keep yourself free from common follies. This is a special stroke of policy. They are of special power because they are general, so that many who would not be led away by any individual folly cannot escape the universal failing. Among these are to be counted the common prejudice that any one is satisfied with his fortune, however great, or unsatisfied with his intellect, however poor it is. Or again, that each, being discontented with his own lot, envies that of others; or further, that persons of today praise the things of yesterday, and those here the things there. Everything past seems best and everything distant is more valued. He is as great a fool that laughs at all as he that weeps at all.