《智慧书·第二辑·五一至一百》第41则
Never set to work at anything if you have any doubts of its Prudence. A suspicion of failure in the mind of the doer is proof positive of it in that of the onlooker, especially if he is a rival. If in the heat of action your judgment feels scruples, it will afterwards in cool reflection condemn it as a piece of folly. Action is dangerous where prudence is in doubt: better leave such things alone. Wisdom does not trust to probabilities; it always marches in the mid-day light of reason. How can an enterprise succeed which the judgment condemns as soon as conceived? And if resolutions passed nem. con. by inner court often turn out unfortunately, what can we expect of those undertaken by a doubting reason and a vacillating judgment?
注释摘要
这则格言的标题与正文构成一个完整的论证句：但凡你对一件事是否明智（prudence）心存疑虑，就绝不要着手去做。葛拉西安在这里把“疑虑”放到一个近乎致命的公共处境里去观察。他的理由不是内心的不安本身有多么可怕，而是这种不安在权力和名誉的竞技场上会立刻被旁观者读出来——尤其是你的对手。你心里的那一点怀疑，在你脸上、在行动的片刻迟疑里，就成了对手眼中确凿的证据…