《智慧书·第六辑·二五一至三百》第34则
Do not be Importunate, and so you will not be slighted. Respect yourself if you would have others respect you. Be sooner sparing than lavish with your presence. You will thus become desired and so well received. Never come unasked and only go when sent for. If you undertake a thing of your own accord you get all the blame if it fails, none of the thanks If it succeeds. The importunate is always the butt of blame; and because he thrusts himself in without shame he is thrust out with it.
注释摘要
这一则讲的是一个精明的尺度：你越是不往别人跟前凑，别人反而越把你当回事。标题与正文原本是同一句话的两半——不要做那个不合时宜强求出现的人，你就不会被轻贱。葛拉西安所说的 importunate 在当时的宫廷语境里不仅仅是烦人或纠缠，而是指一个人在别人没有发出邀请、没有预留位置的情况下主动往前挤。这种人之所以注定被轻看，是因为他的主动把自己放到了一个自降身份…