《智慧书·第五辑·二〇一至二五〇》第40则
Make use of Folly. The wisest play this card at times, and there are times when the greatest wisdom lies in seeming not to be wise. You need not be unwise, but merely affect unwisdom. To be wise with fools and foolish with the wise were of little use. Speak to each in his own language. He is no fool who affects folly, but he is who suffers from it. Ingenuous folly rather than the pretended is the true foolishness, since cleverness has arrived at such a pitch. To be well liked one must dress in the skin of the simplest of animals.
注释摘要
在这则格言里，标题与正文原本是一句连续的话：最智慧的人有时也打出愚蠢这张牌，而有时最大的智慧恰恰在于显得并不智慧。这里的关键区分，不在“是”与“不是”，而在“装”与“受害”：你并不需要真的愚蠢，只需要装作不智；真正的蠢人是那个因愚蠢而受害的人，而不是那个假装愚蠢的人。葛拉西安用一个近乎悖论的句式把它说清楚了——He is no fool who affec…