《智慧书·第四辑·一五一至二百》第44则
Have reasonable Views of Yourself and of your Affairs, especially in the beginning of life. Every one has a high opinion of himself, especially those who have least ground for it. Every one dreams of his good-luck and thinks himself a wonder. Hope gives rise to extravagant promises which experience does not fulfil. Such idle imaginations merely serve as a well-spring of annoyance when disillusion comes with the true reality. The wise man anticipates such errors: he may always hope for the best, but he always expects the worst, so as to receive what comes with equanimity. True, It is wise to aim high so as to hit your mark, but not so high that you miss your mission at the very beginning of life. This correction of the ideas is necessary, because before experience comes expectation is sure to soar too high. The best panacea against folly is prudence. If a man knows the true sphere of his activity and position, he can reconcile his ideals with reality.
注释摘要
这一则讲的是人生开端最需要做的一件事：调整对自我的看法，使之符合实际。葛拉西安劈头就说，每个人对自己的评价都偏高，越是没什么可凭借的人，越是如此。这话听起来刻薄，但在他那个宫廷社会里，确实是一种日常观察：一个刚到萨拉戈萨或马德里寻找赞助人的年轻人，如果满脑子都是自己在家乡被夸赞的记忆，很快就会撞上现实的墙。他一连用了几个关键词来拆解这种心理机制：人人梦想好…