145.藏好你受傷的手指
藏好你受傷的手指,以免它到處碰傷;也不要抱怨它,惡人總是瞄準(zhǔn)你易傷的弱處。惱怒沒(méi)有任何作用--成為他人的話柄只會(huì)讓你更加憤怒。他人的惡意總是在尋找你的痛處,刺激它,放飛鏢試探你的脾氣,想方設(shè)法刺痛你傷口的嫩肉。聰明人從不說(shuō)自己受了打擊,也不說(shuō)任何個(gè)人或家族的不幸。有時(shí),命運(yùn)也喜歡傷害我們身上的軟肋,它總是擠壓我們皮開(kāi)肉綻之處。因此,那些讓我們痛苦或快樂(lè)的東西,你都應(yīng)深藏不露--如果你喜歡前者再也不出現(xiàn),后者持續(xù)下去。
145.Do not show your wounded finger
Do not show your wounded finger, for everything will knock up against it; nor complain about it, for malice always aims where weakness can be injured. It is no use to be vexed: being the butt of the talk will only vex you the more. Ill-will searches for wounds to irritate, aims darts to try the temper, and tries a thousand ways to sting to the quick. The wise never own to being hit, or disclose any evil, whether personal or hereditary. For even Fate sometimes likes to wound us where we are most tender. It always mortifies wounded flesh. Never therefore disclose the source of mortification or of joy, if you wish the one to cease, the other to endure.