《智慧书·第六辑·二五一至三百》第20则
Do not condemn alone that which pleases all. There must be something good in a thing that pleases so many; even if it cannot be explained it is certainly enjoyed. Singularity is always hated, and, when in the wrong, laughed at. You simply destroy respect for your taste rather than do harm to the object of your blame, and are left alone, you and your bad taste. If you cannot find the good in a thing, hide your incapacity and do not damn it straightway. As a general rule bad taste springs from want of knowledge. What all say, is so, or will be so.
注释摘要
这则格言的标题与正文是一枚硬币的两面：标题劝人「勿独斥众好」，正文给出理由。整个论证的起点是一个朴素的信念——「众人皆喜之物，必有其可取之处」。葛拉西安并不要求你真心欣赏它，他甚至坦然承认，有些东西你觉得好却说不出为什么，但它确实在被享用。这里的关键词不是审美，而是承认：你面对的不只是一件作品或一个风尚，而是凝聚了众人判断的一个社会事实。在十七世纪西班牙的…