An old philosophical friend of mine was grown， form experience， very cautious in this particular， and carefully avoided any intimacy with such people. He had， like other philosophers， a thermometer to show him the heat of the weather， and a barometer to mark when it was likely to prove good or bad； but， there being no instrument invented to discover， at f？irst sight， this unpleasing disposition in a person， he for that purpose made use of his legs； one of which was remarkably handsome， the other， by some accident， crooked and deformed. If a stranger， at the f？irst interview， regarded his ugly leg more than his handsome one， he doubted him. If he spoke of it， and took no notice of the handsome leg， that was suff？icient to determine my philosopher to have no further acquaintance with him. Every body has not this two-legged instrument， but every one with a little attention， may observe signs of that carping， fault-f？inding disposition， and take the same resolution of avoiding the acquaintance of those infected with it. I therefore advise those critical， querulous， discontented， unhappy people， that if they wish to be respected and beloved by others， and happy in themselves they should leave off looking at the ugly leg.
這世上有兩種人，他們擁有著同樣的健康、財富以及其他生活上的享受，但是，一種人快樂，另一種人卻煩惱。這很大程度上緣於他們對事物的觀點不同，比如對人和對事，因此產生了快樂和煩惱的差別。
人無論處於什麽境地，總是會遇到“幸”與“不幸”。不管在什麽場合，與什麽樣的人接觸並進行交流，總有讓他開心或煩心的；無論在什麽樣的餐桌前吃飯，酒肉總有對味和不對味的，餐具也總有精致和粗糙的；無論在什麽氣候下，他們總能遭遇好天氣或壞天氣；無論哪個政府統治，法律條文總有好壞之分；再偉大的詩句或著作中，總能挑出精彩的和平庸的；差不多每一個人的臉上，都有美麗和難看的地方，每一個人，也總有優點和缺點。