《沉思录·卷五·天未亮就起身》第6条
One man, when he has done a service to another, is ready to set it down to his account as a favor conferred. Another is not ready to do this, but still in his own mind he thinks of the man as his debtor, and he knows what he has done. A third in a manner does not even know what he has done, but he is like a vine which has produced grapes, and seeks for nothing more after it has once produced its proper fruit. As a horse when he has run, a dog when he has tackled the game, a bee when it has made the honey, so a man when he has done a good act does not call out for others to come and see, but he goes on to another act, as a vine goes on to produce again the grapes in season.--Must a man then be one of these, who in a manner act thus without observing it?--Yes.--But this very thing is necessary, the observation of what a man is doing: for, it may be said, it is characteristic of the social animal to perceive that he is working in a social manner, and indeed to wish that his social partner also should perceive it.--It is true that thou sayest, but thou dost not rightly understand what is now said: and for this reason thou wilt become one of those of whom I spoke before, for even they are misled by a certain show of reason. But if thou wilt choose to understand the meaning of what is said, do not fear that for this reason thou wilt omit any social act.
注释摘要
奥勒留在这一段里区分了三种行善者的心态，这个区分精细得惊人。第一种人做了好事，立刻在心里记上一笔账，明确地把它当作自己施与的恩惠。第二种人不会公开记账，但内心仍把对方视为欠了自己什么，他很清楚自己做了什么。第三种人几乎不觉得自己做了什么特别的事，就像葡萄树结了葡萄之后，根本不寻求任何回报，它只是完成了自身本性的果实。马跑完了路、狗追到了猎物、蜜蜂酿成了蜜，…