雙語智慧書·理性看待自己和自己的事

194．理性看待自己和自己的事
　　理性看待自己和自己的事。初涉人世更要如此。人人都自視甚高，最沒有資本的人自視最高。每人都夢想走運(yùn)，并以為自己是個(gè)奇才。希望滋生非分之想，其實(shí)難以如愿。這種非分之想是煩惱的源泉，因?yàn)楝F(xiàn)實(shí)會讓它幻滅。這種偏差，明智之人能夠預(yù)見，他們總是抱著最好的期望，做最壞的打算，從而平靜地接受任一結(jié)果。沒錯(cuò)，把箭頭瞄得高些，這很聰明，這樣才能射中目標(biāo)；但是不能瞄得太高，使得自己在人生之初就錯(cuò)過自己的目標(biāo)。你應(yīng)修正自己的想法，因?yàn)橛H歷之前，你的期望肯定飛得太高。小心謹(jǐn)慎是防止愚蠢的靈丹妙藥。如果一個(gè)人了解自己的能力大小和自己真正的位置，他就能調(diào)節(jié)理想和現(xiàn)實(shí)的差距。



194．Have reasonable views of yourself and of your affairs
　Have reasonable views of yourself and of your affairs, especially in the beginning of life. Everyone has a high opinion of himself, especially those who have least ground for it. Everyone dreams of his good-luck and thinks himself a wonder. Hope gives rise to extravagant promises which experience does not fulfil. Such idle imaginations merely serve as a wellspring of annoyance when disillusion comes with the true reality. The wise man anticipates such errors: he may always hope for the best, but he always expects the worst, so as to receive what comes with equanimity. True, It is wise to aim high so as to hit your mark, but not so high that you miss your mission at the very beginning of life. This correction of the ideas is necessary, because before experience comes expectation is sure to soar too high. The best panacea against folly is prudence. If a man knows the true sphere of his activity and position, he can reconcile his ideals with reality.