《智慧书·第六辑·二五一至三百》第22则
Sell Things by the Tariff of Courtesy. You oblige people most that way. The bid of an interested buyer will never equal the return gift of an honourable recipient of a favour. Courtesy does not really make presents, but really lays men under obligation, and generosity is the great obligation. To a right-minded man nothing costs more dear that what is given him: you sell it him twice and for two prices: one for the value, one for the politeness. At the same time it is true that with vulgar souls generosity is gibberish, for they do not understand the language of good breeding.
注释摘要
这则格言的标题与正文之间有一种精确的呼应，整段话讲的是同一种经济学的倒置。“按礼数的价目表出卖东西”——这句话本身就是一个浓缩的悖论，因为出卖通常关联的是金钱与市场，而礼数是宫廷社会里无法标价的东西。葛拉西安的意思是，你给予别人的东西，如果能以一种优雅的、不带讨价还价痕迹的方式出手，那么它在接受者那里产生的回报压力，远比任何明码标价的交易要大得多。后面他给…