《智慧书·第一辑·一至五十》第13则
Act sometimes on Second Thoughts, sometimes on First Impulse. Man's life is a warfare against the malice of men. Sagacity fights with strategic changes of intention: it never does what it threatens, it aims only at escaping notice. It aims in the air with dexterity and strikes home in an unexpected direction, always seeking to conceal its game. It lets a purpose appear in order to attract the opponent's attention, but then turns round and conquers by the unexpected. But a penetrating intelligence anticipates this by watchfulness and lurks in ambush. It always understands the opposite of what the opponent wishes it to understand, and recognises every feint of guile. It lets the first impulse pass by and waits for the second, or even the third. Sagacity now rises to higher flights on seeing its artifice foreseen, and tries to deceive by truth itself, changes its game in order to change its deceit, and cheats by not cheating, and founds deception on the greatest candour. But the opposing intelligence is on guard with increased watchfulness, and discovers the darkness concealed by the light and deciphers every move, the more subtle because more simple. In this way the guile of the Python combats the far darting rays of Apollo.
注释摘要
这一则整整一段都在讲一场认知上的军备竞赛。标题里的“sometimes on Second Thoughts, sometimes on First Impulse”不能当字面的“三思而行”或“跟着感觉走”来读。葛拉西安的意思不是让你偶尔冲动、偶尔慎重，而是要你在不同的对手面前、在不同的回合里，随时切换你投出的那一步棋是来自第一念还是第二念。因为你的敌人正…