《沉思录·卷六·宇宙即变化》第18条
How strangely men act! They will not praise those who are living at the same time and living with themselves; but to be themselves praised by posterity, by those whom they have never seen nor ever will see, this they set much value on. But this is very much the same as if thou shouldst be grieved because those who have lived before thee did not praise thee.
注释摘要
这番话抓住了一个极其普遍却又极其荒诞的心理习惯。奥勒留指出的现象是：人们不愿意赞美和自己同时代、甚至生活在一起的人，却无比在意那些自己永远不会见到、也永远不会见到自己的后世之人对自己的赞美。他接着用一个极朴素的类比拆穿这个念头——如果你不去在乎古代的人没有赞美你，那你又何必为未来的陌生人是否赞美你而烦恼呢。两者的区别仅仅是时间方向上一前一后，本质上都是一种…