巴爾塔沙·葛拉西安/Balthasar Gracian
A sage once reduced all virtue to the golden mean. Push right to the extreme and it becomes wrong; press all the juice from an orange and it becomes bitter. Even in enjoyment never go to extremes.
You should learn to seize things not by the blade, which cuts, but by the handle, which saves you from harm: especially is this the role with the doings of your enemies. A wise man gets more use from his enemies than a fool from his friends. Their ill will often levels mountains of difficulties which one would otherwise not face…… Flattery is more dangerous than hatred because it covers the stains which the other causes to be wiped out. The wise will turn ill will into a mirror more faithful than kindness, and remove or improve the faults referred to.
Everyone would have excelled in something if he had known his strong point. Notice in what quality you surpass, and take charge of that. In some, judgment excels, in others valor. Most do violence to their natural aptitude and thus attain superiority in nothing. Time disillusions us too late of what first flattered the passions.
聖人曾把所有的美德都歸於中庸之道。如果把對的推到極端，那麽對的也會變成錯的了；如果把橘子的汁全部榨幹，那麽橘子也會變得苦澀。即使在享樂方麵，也不要走極端。
你應該學會在拿東西的時候不握鋒刃，因為鋒刃會把你割傷，而要握著把柄，因為這樣你就可以免受傷害。對於你的敵人的種種行為，尤其要遵循這項規則。一個智者從他的敵人那兒所得到的益處，遠比一個愚人從他的朋友那兒所得到的要多得多。敵人的惡意常能促使我們克服重重困難，如果沒有那種惡意的激勵，我們也許不能如此勇敢……阿諛奉承遠比仇恨危險，因為前者把人的汙點掩飾起來，而後者促使那些汙點被抹掉。智者會把惡意化為一麵更加忠實的、善意的鏡子，以消滅或者改善鏡子中反映出來的不完美。