159.忍受愚蠢
忍受愚蠢。智者常常沒(méi)有耐性,因?yàn)閷W(xué)問(wèn)增加了,他們對(duì)愚蠢的耐心也減少了。學(xué)識(shí)淵博之人很難被取悅。生活中第一重要準(zhǔn)則便是"忍耐"二字,愛(ài)比克泰德(1)如是說(shuō),他視其為所有智慧真諦的一半。容忍種種愚蠢,需要極大的耐性。有時(shí)候,我們不得不忍受的人恰恰是我們最依賴的人,這是鍛煉我們自制力之有用的一課。忍耐產(chǎn)生安寧,這是世間幸福之無(wú)價(jià)的恩惠。如果沒(méi)有耐性,就要獨(dú)處--即便是獨(dú)處,也不得不忍耐自己。
159.Put up with fools
Put up with fools. The wise are always impatient, for he that increases knowledge increase impatience of folly. Much knowledge is difficult to satisfy. The first great rule of life, according to Epictetus, is to put up with things: he valued this as half of all wisdom. To put up with all the varieties of folly would need much patience. We often have to put up with most from those on whom we most depend: a useful lesson in self-control. Out of patience comes forth peace, the priceless boon which is the happiness of the world. But let him that has no power of patience retire within himself, though even there he will have to put up with himself.
(1) 古羅馬哲學(xué)家,晚期斯多葛派主要代表之一。