《智慧书·第五辑·二〇一至二五〇》第48则
Do not go with the last Speaker. There are persons who go by the latest edition, and thereby go to irrational extremes. Their feelings and desires are of wax: the last comer stamps them with his seal and obliterates all previous impressions. These never gain anything, for they lose everything so soon. Every one dyes them with his own colour. They are of no use as confidants; they remain children their whole life. Owing to this instability of feeling and volition, they halt along cripples in will and thought, and totter from one side of the road to the other.
注释摘要
这一则的标题与正文构成一个完整的判断：不要跟着最后说话的人走，因为有一类人永远只服从于他们听见的最后一种声音。葛拉西安用了一个书业的比方来刻画这种心智状态——"latest edition"在其原文里既指最新版本的书，也指最新的消息或流言。这类人仿佛永远在读刚出版的那一本，上一版无论多好，一旦新版到货便被弃如敝屣。他不是在批评从善如流，而是在勾勒一种心智的…