Chapter 11 -2

CHAPTER THREE On the Influence and Authority of Conscience Though in some special cases the assent of conscience certainly cannot satisfy the weak, though the expression of that impartial spectator, supposed to be really present with the heart, is not always alone supported. Confidence, however, is the influence and authority of conscience on all occasions, and it is only after consulting the inner judge that we can truly see what concerns ourselves, and act for our own interests as well as those of others. A decent comparison. Just as the eye sees things by their distance, not by their real size, so may the natural eye in the mind see things: and we correct this in almost the same way. Defects of two organs.From where I am writing the book now, the infinite scenery of meadows, forests and distant mountains does not seem to be so big that it can cover the small window next to me, but it is small compared with the room I am sitting in. out of proportion.Instead of putting yourself in a different position—at least in imagination—where you can look around at roughly equal distances between those large objects in the distance and the small ones around them, you can make some sense of their actual size. Apart from correct judgment, I have no other way to make a correct comparison between the two.Habit and experience have made me do this so easily and so quickly that it is almost unconscious; If knowledge of the real size of distant objects expands and enlarges them, he must then have some knowledge of the principles of vision to be fully convinced that those distant objects appear only small to the eye.

In the same way, to those selfish and primitive passions of human nature, our own slight gain or loss will appear to outweigh the highest interests of another with whom we have no special relationship, and will excite a more passionate passion. Happiness or sadness elicits some kind of stronger desire or loathing.From this standpoint, his interests can never be considered as important as our own, and we can never be restrained from doing anything to promote our interests to his injury.We must first change our position if we are to be able to make a fair comparison of these two opposing interests.We must see them neither from our own nor from his, nor from our own nor his eyes, but from a third's place and with a third's eyes.This third person has no special relationship with us, and he judges between us impartially.Here too, habit and experience enable us to do it so easily and so quickly that we do it almost unconsciously; If we are just, then some degree of reflection, even some philosophical consideration, is required to convince us that we are indifferent to our neighbor with whom we are most concerned, and are not moved by anything about him.

Let us suppose that the great empire of China, with all its hundreds of millions of inhabitants, is suddenly swallowed up by an earthquake, and let us consider what a humane European, who has nothing to do with China, What is affected.I think he will first express his deep sorrow for the loss of these unfortunates, and he will think with deep melancholy of the unrest of human life, and of the vanishing of all human labor, so destroyed in a moment.Had he been a speculator, he might have thought, by extension, of the effect this disaster would have on the commerce of Europe, and on the ordinary commerce of the world.And when all these delicate reasonings are done, once all these noble sentiments are fully expressed, he goes about his business or pursues his enjoyment, seeks rest and diversion, with equal ease and serenity, as if no such misfortune had happened. event.The smallest misfortune that could befall him aroused in him a certain more actual disquiet.If he were to lose a little finger tomorrow, he would not be able to sleep tonight; but if he had never met the billions of his compatriots in China, he would feel absolutely safe after hearing the news of their destruction. The great sleep, the destruction of hundreds of millions of people is obviously more insignificant than his own insignificant misfortune.Would a human being, therefore, be willing to sacrifice the lives of millions of his fellow-men, if he had never seen them, in order to prevent such insignificant misfortunes from happening to him?Human nature is horrified at the thought of this, and the world, corrupted to the extreme, would never have produced such a villain capable of such a thing.But how did this difference come about?How can positive morality be so noble and sublime, since our negative affections are often so base and selfish?Since we are always deeply moved by everything that concerns ourselves and not by anything that concerns others, what motivates the noble man on all occasions and the ordinary man on many occasions to be greater for others? What about sacrificing your own interests?It is not the gentle power of human nature, not the feeble fire of benevolence which the Creator has kindled in the human heart, a fire capable of suppressing the strongest desires of self-love.It is a more powerful force, a more powerful motive, which exerts itself on such occasions.It is reason, morality, conscience, the inhabitant of the mind, the man within, the great judge and arbiter of our actions.Whenever we are about to take actions that affect the happiness of others, it is he who cries to us with a voice that stifles the most impulsive passions in us: We are but one of many, and no one is more important than any other ; and cry: If we think so shamefully and blindly of ourselves, we shall be proper objects of resentment, hatred, and curses.Only from him do we learn the true insignificance of ourselves and things about ourselves, and that the natural perversions of self-love can only be corrected by the eye of the impartial spectator.It is he who shows us the propriety of generosity and the ugliness of injustice; the propriety of forsaking one's own best for the greater good of others;It is not the love of our neighbor, nor the love of mankind, that prompts us on many occasions to practice the divine virtues.It is usually a stronger love, a more powerful feeling, which arises on such occasions; a love of what is glorious and sublime, a love of greatness and dignity, a love of Pros love.

When the happiness or unhappiness of others depends in all respects on our actions, we dare not, as self-love might suggest, put the good of one more than the good of all.The inner being immediately reminds us that too much of ourselves and too little of others makes us the proper object of the contempt and indignation of our fellow beings.Men of the highest morals and virtues are not swayed by such sentiments.This thought deeply affects every better soldier, and he feels that he may hesitate if he is thought to be likely to shrink from danger, or to hesitate if the performance of a soldier's duty requires him to risk or throw his life away. Before, he will become someone who his comrades despise.

An individual should never place himself above anyone else in order to injure or injure another for his own self-interest, even though the former's interest may be much greater than the latter's.Nor should the poor ever cheat and steal from the rich, even though the gains benefit the former more than the losses hurt the latter.In such cases, too, the inner man is quick to remind him that he is no more important than his neighbour, and that his undue favoritism makes himself both a fitting object of contempt and indignation, and a He is not a proper object of the punishment which such contempt and indignation necessarily entail, for thereby violating a sacred rule, the approximate observance of which establishes the whole security and peace of human society.Generally speaking, what the honest man fears is the inner disgrace that this behavior brings, the indelible stain that will forever be etched on his soul, not what the outside world may fall on him through no fault of his own. and he would feel in his heart the truth expressed in the great maxim of the Stoics, that it is not right for a man to take anything that is another, or to pay him for his loss or loss. It is more contrary to nature to advance one's own interest by defeat than to influence one's death, poverty, pain, and all misfortunes from the body, or from external circumstances.

When it is true that the happiness and unhappiness of others depend in no way on our actions, when our interests are so wholly independent and independent of theirs that there is neither relation nor competition between them, It is not always thought necessary to curb our natural, perhaps inappropriate care in our own affairs, or our innate, perhaps inappropriate indifference in the affairs of others.The most common education teaches us to act on all important occasions according to some principle of justice between ourselves and others, and even common world commerce regulates the principles of our conduct, giving them a certain degree of propriety. .But it is said that only a very unnatural and very refined education can correct the wrongness of our passive affections; and that for this we must have recourse to the most rigorous and profound philosophy.

Two different classes of philosophers attempt to teach us this most difficult of all moral lessons.One class of philosophers seeks to heighten our sense of other people's interests; another class seeks to diminish our sense of our own.The former makes us sympathize with the interests of others as naturally as our own; the latter makes us sympathize with our own as naturally sympathetic with others.Both, perhaps, carried their teachings far beyond the standard of natural and propriety correctness. The former are those sobbing and despondent moralists who endlessly reproach us for living happily while so many of our fellow men are in misfortune, thinking: despite the many Struggling in disasters, suffering in poverty all the time, suffering from disease all the time, worrying about the coming of death all the time, being bullied and oppressed by the enemy all the time - and naturally full of joy for one's own luck Mood, is evil.Pity, they thought, for the misfortune which they had never seen and heard, but which they could be sure to beset these fellow-creatures at every moment, should restrain the joy of their own fortune, and show respect to all. A certain habitual melancholy despondency.But, at first, it seems utterly absurd and irrational to express undue sympathy for a misfortune of which one knows nothing.

You can see that on average in the whole world, for every person who is suffering or unlucky, there are ZO people who are lucky and happy, or at least in better condition.Indeed, there is no reason why we should weep for one and not rejoice for ZO personally.In the second place, this affectation of pity is not only absurd, but it also seems quite impossible; Possessed of anything else, this grief does not move the heart, but makes faces and conversation untimely sullen and unpleasant.Finally, such desires, though attainable, are utterly useless, and can only cause pain to the person who has them.Whatever interest we may have in the fate of those with whom we are not familiar and with whom we have no relation, and who lie outside our sphere of activity, can only trouble us and do them no good.For what purpose do we trouble ourselves about the world beyond our reach?Undoubtedly, all people, even those furthest from us, are entitled to our well wishes, and those we naturally bestow upon them.But as unfortunate as they are, it doesn't seem to be our responsibility to trouble ourselves for this.It seems therefore to be a wise arrangement of our Creator that we should be only slightly concerned with the fate of those who can neither help nor harm, and who in no way concern us; If the original nature of the human body is the original nature, then this change can not get us anything.

It is not a problem for us not to have sympathy for the joy of the successful.Our fondness for the successful is apt to become very strong, so long as it is not hindered by envy; and those moralists who accuse us of not having enough sympathy for the unfortunate, also blame us for being too easy on the lucky, the powerful, and the rich. Indiscreet admiration and admiration. Another class of moralists endeavors to correct the natural inequalities in our passive affections by degrading our feelings about things especially concerning ourselves, and here we may enumerate all the ancient schools of philosophers, especially the ancient Stoics. Ge school.According to the theory of the Stoics, man should think of himself not as some solitary, isolated being, but as a citizen of the world, as a member of the great national totality of nature.He should always be willing to sacrifice his own small interest to the good of the great body.He should be no more moved by what concerns himself than by any other equally important part of this great system.We should view ourselves, not in the light in which selfish passions are apt to place ourselves, but in that light with which any other citizen of the world would view us.We should regard what befalls us as what befalls our neighbor, or, to put it another way, as our neighbor views what befalls us.Epictetus said: "When our neighbor loses his wife or son, there is no one who does not think it a kind of earthly calamity, a kind of mortal calamity, which happens in the very ordinary course of things. but, when the same thing happens to us, we cry out, as if suffering the most dreadful misfortunes. We should, however, remember that if this accident happened to another we would suffer What influence the condition of others has on us is the influence that our own condition should have on us."

There are two kinds of personal misfortunes, to which we are apt to have more sensibility than is proper.One is to first affect those who are especially close to us, such as our parents, children, brothers, sisters, or closest friends, etc., and then indirectly affect our misfortune; the other is to immediately and directly affect our body, destiny Or the misfortune of reputation, such as pain, disease, imminent death, poverty, disgrace, etc. In the case of the former misfortune, our emotions will no doubt go far beyond what exact propriety will admit; but they may fall short, and often do.A man who has no more sympathy with the death or suffering of his own father or son than with the death or suffering of any other father or son is clearly not a good son, nor a good father.Such an inhuman indifference excites us far from approving, but only the most violent disapproval.In the family affections, however, some are very easily offended by their excesses, others by their deficiencies.The Creator has most wisely endowed the love of parents in the hearts of most, perhaps all, to be stronger than the filial piety of children.The continuation and multiplication of races depend entirely on the former and not on the latter.

Under normal circumstances, the survival and protection of children depend entirely on the care of their parents.The survival and protection of the parents is seldom dependent on the care of their children.The former passion, therefore, has been made so strong by the Creator that it generally needs not to be stimulated but to be tempered; Excessive consideration of ourselves, i.e., our tendency to give more incorrect favoritism to our own children than to the children of others.Instead, they tell us to care for our parents lovingly, to repay them when they are old, for the kindness they provided us with in our infancy and youth.Christianity's "Ten Commandments" require us to respect our parents, but there is no mention of love for our children.Our Creator has well prepared us in advance for this latter duty.People are rarely accused of acting more doting than they really are.Sometimes they are suspected of showing their filial piety to their parents by showing too much ostentation.For the same reason, one suspects that the widow's exaggerated grief is not genuine.Where it can be believed to be genuine, we respect it, even if the feeling is too strong; and though we may not fully approve of it, we do not condemn it harshly.This feeling seems to be admirable, at least in the eyes of those who pretend to have it, as evidenced by the above-mentioned affectation. Even in that passion which is so easily offended by its excess, its excess, though it may seem reprehensible, is never abominable.We blame the excessive indulgence and care of a parent, as certain circumstances will prove in the end to be injurious to the child, as well as to the parent; look at it.And the absence of this usually excessive feeling always seems especially abominable.The man who appears to have no affection for his own children, and who treats them on all occasions with undue severity and severity, seems the most odious of all cruel men.Proper affection by no means requires us to abstain entirely from that extraordinary affection which we must have for the misfortunes of those nearest us, and the deficiency of it is always more disagreeable than the excess of it.The indifference of the Stoics was never welcome under such circumstances, and defended by all metaphysical sophistry, it can do nothing but increase the hard-heartedness of the dandy far beyond its natural arrogance. Apart from rituals, what else will it do.Rarely in this case are those poets and novelists who best portrayed the noble and delicate love, friendship, and all other personal and family affections, such as Racine, Voltaire, Richardson, Maliver, Ricoaud, Bonnie, both are better teachers than Zenochrysippus or Epictetus. The restrained affection for another's misfortune does not disqualify us from any duty; the melancholy but fond remembrance of a dead friend--pained, as Gray says, by the grief of the heart of a dear — by no means a bad feeling.Though outwardly they are characterized by pain and sorrow, in substance all are sublime in virtue and self-satisfaction. Misfortunes that immediately and directly affect our body, our destiny, or our reputation are another matter.An excess of our affections is more likely to injure proper affections than a lack of affection.Only on rare occasions do we come close to the indifference and indifference of the Stoics. It has already been mentioned that we seldom feel sympathetic with any passions which arise from the flesh.Pain caused by some accidental cause, such as a cut or scratched muscle, is perhaps the physical pain most deeply sympathetic to the spectator. The near-death of a neighbor is seldom without deeply sentimental onlookers.In both cases, however, the feelings of the spectator are so weak compared with those of the person involved, that the latter is by no means offended by the former expressing the pain he feels with great ease. Mere lack of wealth, mere poverty, inspires little pity.Complaining about this is all too easily the object of contempt rather than sympathy.We despise a beggar; and though his relentlessness may wring alms out of us, he is never an object of pity to be taken seriously.The descent from affluence to poverty, as it usually causes the victim to suffer very real pain, seldom fails to arouse the most sincere pity of the spectator.Although in the present state of society such misfortunes are seldom possible without some misconduct, and the victim has some noteworthy misconduct, yet people are usually too sympathetic to allow him to He was plunged into a state of extreme poverty; and by the means of his friends, and often by the indulgence of his creditors, who had many reasons to complain of his indiscretions, he generally received a modest, though modest, but more or less respectable support.Perhaps we readily excuse a certain degree of weakness in those who are in such misfortunes; The man who is humiliated by this change, and who supports his social position not by his wealth but by his character and conduct, is always deeply approved of, and is sure to command our highest and deepest admiration . As of all external misfortunes that may immediately and directly affect an innocent person, the greatest misfortune is, of course, undeserved loss of reputation, one is sensitive to anything that may bring about such great misfortune, and does not Not always vulgar or unpleasant.We often have more respect for a young man if he expresses indignation, even if the indignation is somewhat excessive, at any unjust reproach thrown upon his character or reputation. A chaste young lady is distressed by unfounded suspicions which may have been circulated about her conduct, and often arouses great sympathy.The elders have long experienced the evils and injustices of the world, and have learned to pay little attention to blame or praise, to ignore and despise loud invective, and even to condescend to lose their temper with frivolous people.This indifference, which is based entirely on some firm conviction which has been thoroughly tested and established by men, is repulsive in a young man who neither can nor ought to have such a conviction.This indifference in youth may be taken to portend a most inappropriate insensitivity to true honor and notoriety in their formative years. To all other personal misfortunes which affect us immediately and directly, it is almost impossible for us to appear indifferent and unpleasant.We often recall our feelings about others' misfortune with pleasure and lightheartedness.We can hardly recall our feelings about our own misfortune without a certain amount of shame and guilt. If we examine the nuances and gradual changes of weakness of will and self-control, as we encounter in everyday life, we can easily convince ourselves that this control over our inevitably acquired negative feelings does not come from some The abstruse deductive reasoning of equivocal sophistry, but from an important precept established by the Creator for the acquisition of this and other virtues; namely, to respect the real or hypothetical spectator's feelings of one's actions. A very young child lacks self-control.Whether his emotion is fear, sadness, or anger, whatever, he always tries to get as much attention as possible from a frightened nanny or parent by shouting.His rage was the first, and perhaps the only, passion which was admonished to be tempered while he was still under the tutelage of these partial protectors.These guardians, for their own ease, are often obliged to frighten the child into losing his temper with loud reprimands and threats; .When a child is old enough to go to school or socialize with other children of his own age, he immediately discovers that other children do not treat him with this kind of doting and favoritism.He naturally wanted to be well liked by the other children and avoid being hated or despised by them.Even concern for his own safety admonishes him to do so; and he soon discovers that there is only one way of doing this, and that is to repress not only his own anger, but all his other passions, to the children and children. The partner is probably willing to accept the degree.Thus he enters into the great school of self-denial, and strives more and more to control himself, and begins to discipline his affections, which even the longest practice of life is not capable of perfecting. The weakest man in various personal misfortunes, in pain, disease, or sorrow, when his friend or even a stranger calls, immediately recalls what the visitor is likely to have when seeing his situation. view.Their views diverted his attention from his situation; the moment they came to him his mind was somewhat at peace.The effect is instantaneous and, so to speak, mechanical; but, in a weak person, it does not last long.Immediately his vision of his situation came back to him.He wallowed himself, as before, in laments, tears, and lamentations; and, like a child not yet at school, endeavored not to restrain his sorrows, but to force the pity of the spectator, to make a difference between the one and the other. Some kind of agreement. In a man who is a little more determined, the effect is more permanent.He tried as hard as he could to focus on what his companions were likely to think of his situation.At the same time, while he thus preserved his equanimity, and while he did not appear to feel for himself more than his companions' sincere sympathy for him, despite the pressure of the catastrophe before him, he felt that they naturally respect and satisfaction for him.His pleasure in feeling the satisfaction of his fellows sustains him and makes it easier for him to continue this noble endeavor.For the most part he avoided speaking of his own misfortune; and his companions, if they were better educated, were careful not to say anything which would remind him of their own misfortune. He endeavored to interest his companions by the usual variety of subjects, or, if he felt himself strong enough to mention his misfortune, in the manner in which he imagined they would speak of it. It, even trying not to make him feel more than they might have felt about it.However, if he has not been well accustomed to strict self-control, he will soon tire of this restraint.A long interview would wear him out; at any moment towards the end of the interview he might do what he would certainly have done once it was over, viz., wallow himself in a state of weakness of excessive grief.The custom now prevails to be extremely tolerant of human infirmities, and at certain times no strangers, but only the nearest relations and closest friends, are allowed to visit those who have had a great misfortune in their family.The presence of the latter is supposed to be less restrictive than the presence of the former; and the sufferer more easily adapts himself to the mood of those who have reason to expect from them a more magnanimous sympathy.Stealthy enemies don't think they're known, and they often like to make those early "goodwill" visits like closest friends.Under such circumstances the weakest man in the world will endeavor to preserve manly composure, and, out of indignation and contempt for the malice of his visitor, will make his demeanor as cheerful and easy as possible. The really strong and determined, the wise and upright who have been trained in the great schools of self-control, may face the violence and injustice of factions, the hardships and hardships of war, in the midst of the hectic and troubled affairs of the world. Dangerous, but on all occasions he was always in control of his passions; and accepted influences with almost the same attitude, whether alone or in company, with almost the same poise.It is often necessary for him to preserve this courage in times of success and in times of defeat, in times of prosperity and in times of adversity, before friends and enemies.He never dared for a moment to forget what the impartial spectator had to say about his actions and feelings.He never dared to let himself relax for a moment from the man inside him.He is always accustomed to observe things related to himself through the eyes of the person he lives with.This habit was already very familiar to him.He is in continual practice, and indeed he has often to mold or endeavor to conform to the image of this august and venerable judge, not only in his outward manners, but even, as far as possible, in his inner feelings and feelings. shape yourself.Not only is he inclined to the emotions of the impartial spectator, but he genuinely accepts them.He almost thinks himself the impartial spectator, almost makes himself the impartial spectator, and feels scarcely anything but that which the great arbiter of his own conduct directs him to feel. thing. In this case, the degree of self-satisfaction with which each individual examines his conduct is higher or lower, exactly in proportion to the degree of self-control which is necessary for this self-satisfaction.Where there is little need for self-control, there is little self-satisfaction.A man who has merely grazed his finger does not think highly of himself, though he soon seems to have forgotten the petty misfortune.A man who has lost his leg in a shelling, and who, a moment later, talks and behaves as calm and unflappable as his customary, must feel a higher degree of self-satisfaction as he has achieved a higher degree of self-control.For most people, on such occasions, their natural view of their own misfortune will force itself upon them with such vivid and intense color as all thoughts of other views which have been completely forgotten. in their hearts. They feel nothing but their own pain and fear, and it is impossible for them to notice anything; Evaluations by realistic onlookers who may have happened to be there. The Creator's reward for the noble deeds of man in his misfortune is thus just in proportion to the degree of that noble deed.The only compensation she can give for the bitterness of pain and sorrow, is thus exactly in proportion to the degree of pain and sorrow, in equal measure to that of noble deeds.The higher the degree of self-control which is necessary to overcome our natural passions, the greater will be the pleasure and pride derived from it;Pain and unhappiness never come to a mind full of self-satisfaction; and the Stoics say that in such misfortunes as those mentioned above, the happiness of a wise man is in all respects as in any other circumstance. It may be too much to speak of the same happiness that he enjoys, but at least it must be admitted that the whole enjoyment in this self-admiration must, if not completely eliminate, greatly lighten his sense of his own suffering. When pains are so sudden--if I may be allowed to refer to them as such--I think that the wisest and most resolute are compelled to make some great, even painful, effort to keep their composure. His natural sense of his pain, his natural conception of his situation, tormented him severely, and without a great effort he could not focus his attention on what the impartial spectator would expect. Feelings and perceptions you will have.Two thoughts appeared in front of him at the same time.His sense of honor, his respect for his own dignity, directed him to focus all his attention on one opinion.His natural, spontaneous and capricious feelings continually diverted his whole attention to another view.In this case he does not see himself as exactly what he imagines to be within him, nor does he make himself an impartial spectator of his actions.他心中存在的这两种性质不同的看法彼此分离互不相同， 并且每一种都导致他的行为区别于另一种看法所导致的行为。当他听从荣誉和尊严向他指出的看法时，造物主确实不会不给他某种报答。他享受着全部的自我满意之情，以及每一个正直而公正的旁观者的赞扬。但是，根据造物主千古不变的规则，他仍然感受到痛苦；造物主给予的酬报虽然很大，但仍不足以完全补偿那些规则所带来的痛苦。这种补偿同他所应得到的并不相适应。如果这种补偿确实完全补偿了他的痛苦，他就不会因为私利而具有回避某种不幸事件的动机，这种不幸事件不可避免地会减少他对自己和社会的效用；而且造物主出于她对两者父母般的关心，本来就料到他会急切地回避所有这样的不幸事件。因此，他受到痛苦，并且，虽然他在突然来临的极度痛苦之中，不仅保持镇定，而且仍能沉着和清醒地作出自己的判断，但要做到这一点，他必须竭尽全力和不辞辛劳。 然而，按照人类的天性，极度的痛苦从来不会持久；因而，如果他经受得住这阵突然发作的痛苦，他不久无需努力就会恢复通常的平静。毫无疑问，一个装着一条木制假腿的人感到痛苦，并且预见到在残年必然会因某种很大的不便而继续感到痛苦。然而，他不久就完全像每个公正的旁观者看待这条假腿那样把它看成某种不便，在这种不便之中，他能享受到平常那种独处和与人交往的全部乐趣。 他不久就把自己看成同想象中的内心那个人一致的人；他不久就使自己成为自己处境的公正的旁观者。他不再像一个软弱的人最初有时会显示出来的那样，为自己的木腿而哭泣、伤心和悲痛。他已充分习惯于这个公正的旁观者的看法，因而他无需作出尝试和努力，就不再想到用任何其它看法来看待自己的不幸。 所有的人都必然会或迟或早地适应自己的长期处境，这或许会使我们认为： 斯多葛学派至少到此为止是非常接近于正确方面的；在一种长期处境和另一种长期处境之间，就真正的幸福来说，没有本质的差别；如果存在什么差别，那么， 它只不过足以把某些处境变成简单的选择或偏爱的对象，但不足以把它们变成任何真正的或强烈的想望对象；只足以把另一些处境变成简单的抛弃对象，宜于把它们放在一边或加以回避，但并不足以把它们变成任何真正的或强烈的嫌恶对象。幸福存在于平静和享受之中。没有平静就不会有享受；哪里有理想的平静， 哪里就肯定会有能带来乐趣的东西。但是在没有希望加以改变的一切长期处境中，每个人的心情在或长或短的时间内，都会重新回到它那自然和通常的平静状态。在顺境中，经过一定时间，心情就会降低到那种状态；在逆境中，经过一定时间，心情就会提高到那种状态。时髦而轻佻的洛赞伯爵（后为公爵），在巴士底狱中过了一段囚禁生活后，心情恢复平静，能以喂蜘蛛自娱。较为稳重的人会更快地恢复平静，更快地找到好得多的乐趣。 人类生活的不幸和混乱，其主要原因似乎在于对一种长期处境和另一种长期处境之间的差别估计过高。贪婪过高估计贫穷和富裕之间的差别；野心过高估计个人地位和公众地位之间的差别；虚荣过高估计湮没无闻和名闻遐迩之间的差别。受到那些过分激情影响的人，不仅在他的现实处境中是可怜的，而且往往容易为达到他愚蠢地羡慕的处境而扰乱社会的和平。然而，他只要稍微观察一下就会确信，性情好的人在人类生活的各种平常环境中同样可以保持平静，同样可以高兴，同样可以满意。有些处境无疑比另一些处境值得偏爱，但是没有一种处境值得怀着那样一种激情去追求，这种激情会驱使我们违反谨慎或正义的法则；或者由于回想起自己的愚蠢行动而感到的羞耻，或者由于厌恶自己的不公正行为而产生的懊悔，会破坏我们内心的平静。若谨慎没有指导，正义也未容许我们改变自己处境的努力，那个确想这样做的人，就会玩各种最不合适的危险游戏，押上所有的东西而毫无所得。伊庇鲁斯国王的亲信对他主人说的话，适用于处于人类生活的各种平常处境中的人。当国王按照恰当的顺序向他列举了自己打算进行的征服之举，并且列举到最后一次的时候，这个亲信问道：“陛下打算接下去做什么呢？”国王说：“那时打算同朋友们一起享受快乐，并且努力成为好酒友。”这个亲信接着问道：“那么现在有什么东西妨碍陛下这样做呢？”在我们的痴心妄想所能展示的最光彩夺目的和令人得意的处境之中，我们打算从中得到真正幸福的快乐，通常和那样一些快乐相同，这些快乐，按照我们实际的虽然是低下的地位，一直垂手可得。在最为低下的地位（那里只剩下个人的自由），我们可以找到最高贵的地位所能提供的、除了虚荣和优越那种微不足道的快乐之外的其它一切快乐；而虚荣和优越那种快乐几乎同完美的平静，与所有真心的和令人满意的享受的原则和基础不相一致。如下一点也不是必然的，即：在我们所指望的辉煌处境中，我们可以带着与在自己如此急切地想离弃的低下处境中具有的相同的安全感，来享受那些真正的和令人满意的快乐。查看一下历史文献，收集一下在你自己经历的周围发生过的事情，专心考虑一下你或许读过的、听到的或想起的个人或公众生活中的几乎所有非常不成功的行动是些什么，你就会发现，其中的绝大部分都是因为当事人不知道自己的处境已经很好，应该安安静静地坐下来，感到心满意足。那个力图用药物来增强自己那还算不错的体质的人，他的墓碑上的铭文是：“我过去身体不错，我想使身体更好；但现在我躺在了这里。”这一碑文通常可以非常恰当地运用于贪心和野心未得到满足所产生的痛苦。 一个或许会被认为是奇特的但是我相信是正确的看法是：处在某些尚能挽救的不幸之中的人，有很大一部分并不像处在显然无法挽救的不幸之中的人那样， 如此乐意和如此普遍地回复到自己天然的和习以为常的平静中去。在后一种不幸之中，主要是在可以称作飞来横祸的不幸之中，或者在其首次袭击之下，我们可以发现明智的人和软弱的人之间的情感和行为上的各种可感觉的差别。最后，时间这个伟大而又普通的安慰者，逐渐使软弱者平静到这样一种程度，即对自己的尊严和男子汉气概的尊重在一开始就告诫明智的人显示出的那种平静的程度。安装假腿者的情况就是这样一个明显的例子。甚至一个明智的人在遭受孩子、朋友和亲戚的死亡所造成的无可挽救的不幸时，也会一度听任自己沉浸在某种有节制的悲伤之中。一个感情丰富而软弱的妇人，在这种情况下几乎常常会完全发疯。 然而，在或长或短的期间，时间必定会使最软弱的妇人的心情平静到和最坚强的男人的心情相同的程度。在立即和直接影响人们的一切无法补救的灾难之中，一个明智的人从一开始就先行期望和享受那种平静，即他预见到经历几个月或几年最终肯定会恢复的那种平静。 在按理可以补救，或看来可以补救，但对其适用的补救方法超出了受难者力所能及的范围的不幸之中，他恢复自己原先那种处境的徒劳和无效的尝试，他对这些尝试能否成功的长期挂虑，他在这些尝试遭到失败后一再感到的失望，都是妨碍他恢复自己天生平静的主要障碍，并且，在他的一生中，经常给他带来痛苦， 然而某种更大的、显然无法补救的不幸却不会给他带来两星期的情绪纷乱。在从受到皇上的恩宠变为失宠，从大权在握变为微不足道，从富裕变为贫困，从自由变为身陷囹圄，从身强力壮变为身患缠绵不去的、慢性的或许是无可救药的绝症的情况下，一个挣扎反抗最小、极其从容和非常乐意默认自己所遇命运的人，很快就会恢复自己惯常而又自然的平静，就会用最冷漠的旁观者看待自己处境时所易于采用的那种眼光，或者也许是某种更为适宜的眼光，来看待自己实际处境中的那些最难应付的情况。派系斗争、阴谋诡计和阴谋小集团，会扰乱倒霉的政治家的安静。破产者若醉心于金矿的规划和发现，便会睡不好觉。囚犯若总是想越狱便不可能享受即使一所监狱也能向他提供的无忧无虑的安全。医生开的药常常是医不好的病人最讨厌的东西。在卡斯蒂利亚的国王菲利普逝世后，有个僧侣为了安慰国王的妻子约翰娜，告诉她说，某个国王死了14 年之后，由于他那受尽折磨的王后的祈祷而重新恢复了生命，但他那神奇的传说不见得会使那个不幸的伤心透了的王妃恢复平静。她尽力反复进行同样的祈祷以期获得同样的成功；有好长一段时间不让她的丈夫下葬，葬后不久，在把她丈夫的遗体从墓中抬出来后， 她几乎一动也不动地陪伴着，怀着炽热而急切的期待心情等待着幸福时刻的到来，等待着她的愿望由于其所热爱的菲利普复活而得到满足。 我们对别人感情的感受，远非跟自我控制这种男子汉气概不相一致，它正是那种男子汉气概赖以产生的天性。这种相同的天性或本能，在邻居遇到不幸时， 促使我们体恤他的悲痛；在自己遇到不幸时，促使我们去节制自己的哀伤和痛苦。 这种相同的天性或本能，在旁人得到幸运和成功时，促使我们对他的极大幸福表示祝贺；在自己得到幸运和成功时，促使我们节制自己的狂喜。在两种情况中， 我们自己的情感和感觉的合宜程度，似乎恰好同我们用以体谅和想象他人的情感和感觉的主动程度和用力程度成比例。 具有最完美德行因而我们自然极为热爱和最为尊重的人，是这样的人，他既能最充分地控制自己自私的原始感情，又能最敏锐地感受他人富于同情心的原始感情。那个把温和、仁慈和文雅等各种美德同伟大、庄重和大方等各种美德结合起来的人，肯定是我们最为热爱和最为钦佩的自然而又合宜的对象。 因天性而最宜于获得那两种美德中的前一种美德的人也最宜于获得后一种美德。对别人的高兴和悲痛最为同情的人，是最宜于获得对自己的高兴和悲痛的非常充分的控制力的人。具有最强烈人性的人，自然是最有可能获得最高度的自我控制力的人。然而，他或许总是没有获得这种美德；而且他并未获得这种美德是常有的事。他可能在安闲和平静之中生活过久。他可能从来没有遇到过激烈的派系斗争或严酷和危险的战争。他可能没有体验过上司的蛮横无礼、同僚们的猜忌和怀有恶意的妒忌，或者没有体验过下属们暗中施行的不义行为。当他年迈之时，当命运的某些突然变化使他面临所有这一切时，它们都会使他产生非常深刻的印象。他具有使自己获得最完善的自我控制力的气质，但是他从来没有机会得到它。锻炼和实践始终是必需的；缺少它们决不能较好地养成任何一种习性。艰苦、危险、伤害、灾祸是能教会我们实践这种美德的最好老师。但是没有一个人愿意受教于这些老师。 能够最顺当地培养高尚的人类美德的环境，和最适宜形成严格的自我控制美德的环境并不相同。自己处在安闲中的人能够充分注意别人的痛苦。自己面临苦难的人立即会认真对待，并且控制自己的感情。在恬静安宁温和和宜人的阳光下， 在节俭达观悠闲平静的隐居中，人类的温和美德极其盛行，并能得到最高度的完善。但是，在这种处境中，就几乎不作什么努力来实行最伟大和最可贵的自我控制了。在战争和派系斗争的急风暴雨中，在公众骚乱闹事的动乱中，坚定严格的自我控制最为行时，并能极为顺利地形成。但是在这种环境中，人性最有力的启示常常受抑制或被疏忽；而任何这样的疏忽都必然导致人性的削弱。由于不接受宽宥常常是战士的职责，所以不宽贷人命有时也成为战士的职责；而一个人如果好几次不得不执行这种令人不愉快的职责，其人性肯定会受到很大程度的削弱。 为了使自己宽心，他很容易学会轻视自己常常不得不造成的不幸；这样的环境虽然会使人具有最高尚的自我控制能力，但由于有时迫使人侵犯旁人的财产或生命，总是导致削弱、并且往往全然消除对他人财产或生命的神圣尊重，而这种尊重正是正义和人性的基础。所以，我们在世界上经常发现具有伟大人性的人，他们缺乏自我控制，在追求最高荣誉时一碰到困难和危险，就消极、动摇，容易泄气；相反，我们也常常发现能够完善地进行自我控制的人，任何困难都不能够使他们丧失信心，任何危险都不能够使他们丧胆，他们随时准备从事最冒险和最险恶的事业，但是，同时，他们对有关正义或人性的全部感觉却似乎无动于衷。 我们在孤独时往往非常强烈地感觉到同自己有关的东西，往往过高地估计自己可能作出的善行，和自己可能受到的伤害；我们往往因自己交好运而过分兴奋， 往往因自己的厄运而过分沮丧。一个朋友的谈话使我们的心情好转一点，而一个陌生人的谈话使我们的心情更好一些。内心的那个人，我们感情和行为的抽象的和想象的旁观者，经常需要由真实的旁观者来唤醒和想到自己的职责；往往正是从那个旁观者那里，即从那个我们能够预期得到最少的同情和宽容的人那里，我们才有可能学好最完善的自我控制这一课。 你处在不幸之中吗？不要一个人暗自伤心，不要按照你亲密的朋友宽容的同情来调节自己的痛苦；尽可能快地回到世界和社会的光天化日中去。同那些陌生人、和那些不了解你或者不关心你那不幸的人一起生活；甚至不要回避与敌人在一起；而通过使他们感到灾难给你的影响多么微小，以及你克服灾难的力量怎样绰绰有余，来抑制他们的幸灾乐祸，而使自己心情舒畅。 你处在成功之中吗？不要把自己的幸运所带来的高兴限制在自己的房里，不要限制在自己的朋友，或许是奉承你的人中间，不要限制在把改善自己命运的希望寄托在你的幸运之上的那些人中间；要经常到同你没有什么关系的那些人中间去，到只根据你的品质和行为而不是根据你的命运来评价你的那些人中间去。不要寻求也不要回避，不要强迫自己也不要躲避与那些地位曾比你高的人交往，他们在发现你的地位同他们相等，甚或比他们高时会感到刺痛。他们的傲慢无礼或许会使你同他们在一起感到十分不愉快；但如果情况不是这样，就可以相信这是你能与之交往的最好伙伴；如果你能凭借自己坦率谦逊的品行赢得他们的好感和喜欢，你就可以满意地相信，你是十分谦虚的，并且你的头脑没有因自己的幸运而发热。 我们道德情感的合宜性决不那么容易因宽容而又不公平的旁观者近在眼前， 中立而又公正的旁观者远在天边而被损坏。 关于一个独立国家对别国采取的行动，中立国是唯一的公正的旁观者。但是， 它们相距如此遥远以致几乎看不到。当两个国家发生不和时，每个国家的公民很少注意到外国人对其行为可能持有的看法。它的全部奢望是获得自己同胞们的赞同；而当他们因激励它的相同的敌对激情而精神振奋时，它就只能靠激怒和冒犯他们的敌人来使他们高兴了。不公平的旁观者近在眼前，公正的旁观者远在天边。 因此，在战争和谈判中很少有人遵守正义的法则。真理和公平对待几乎全然被人忽视。条约被违反；而且这种违反如果能带来某种利益，就几乎不会给违约者带来什么不光彩。那个欺骗某外国大臣的大使受到人们的钦佩和赞扬。那个不屑于猎取利益也不屑于给人好处，但认为给人好处要比猎取利益光彩一点的正直的人，即在所有私人事务中可能最为人热爱和尊敬的人，在那些公共事务中却被认为是一个傻瓜、白痴和不识时务者，并且总是遭到自己同胞们的轻视，有时甚至是嫌恶。在战争中，不仅所谓国际法常常被人违反——这不会使违法者在其同胞中遭受什么值得重视的耻辱（违法者只考虑同胞们的判断）；而且，就这些国际法本身来说，其大部分在制定之时就很少考虑到最简单、最明白的正义法则。无辜者虽然同罪犯可能有某种联系或依赖关系（这一点或许是他们无法避免的）， 但不应该因此为罪犯受苦或受惩罚，这是正义法则中最简单明白的一条。在最不义的战争中，通常只有君主或统治者才是有罪者。国民们几乎总是完全无辜的， 然而，无论什么时候，敌国认为时机合宜，就在海上和陆上劫掠和平百姓的货物； 听任他们的土地荒芜丢弃，烧毁他们的房子，如果他们胆敢反抗就加以杀害或监禁；所有这些做法，都是同所谓国际法完全一致的。