Chapter 4 Title II-2

161-1 (105) 379-90 How difficult it is to present a thing to another for judgment, without corrupting his judgment by the way we present it to him!If we say, "I find it beautiful; I find it vague," or something like that, we inject imagination into that judgment, or conversely disturb it.It is best not to say anything; then the other person can judge it as it is, that is to say, as it was at the time, and according to other circumstances in which it is not our responsibility.We can at least add nothing to it; unless this silence will also have the intention and interpretation that other people like to give to it, or according to his actions and colors or according to the tone of voice (depending on whether he is a physiognomy or not). ) to produce an effect.How difficult it is not to destroy the natural position of a judgment in the slightest!Perhaps it is better to say, how rare it is to be firm and stable!

162-962 (106) 332-87 Knowing the passions which govern a man, we are sure of pleasing him; but every man has his fancy, and violates his own happiness in his own conception of it; It was an unfathomable strange thing. 163-753 (107) 296-195 Lustravit lampade terras - The seasons have nothing to do with my mood; I have my own haze and sunny seasons in my mind; whether my situation itself is good or bad has nothing to do with it.Sometimes I try to rebel against luck, and the glory of conquering it makes me glad to conquer it; 174-149 (108) 294-84 Although some people have no interest at all in what they say, it does not follow absolutely from this that they are not lying; for some people lie only for the sake of lying.

166, 167 - 143, 144 (109) 309 - 85 When we are healthy, we wonder how we can do those things when we are sick; but when we are sick, we happily take the medicine; the sickness solves the problem.We no longer have the inclinations and desires for the amusements and wanderings that health gives us but are inappropriate to the needs of sickness.At this time, nature endows us with interests and desires suitable to the present situation.It is only the fears which we have imposed upon ourselves, and not those which nature has imposed on us, that trouble us, for it adds to the state in which we are the affection of a state in which we are not.

Nature always makes us unhappy in every state, and our desires paint us a picture of a happy state, for it adds to the state we are in that which we are not in. but when we get it, we are not happy because of it, because we have other desires to adapt to this new state. This general proposition must be concretized . . . 170-121 (110) 177-86 Feeling the illusion of present happiness without knowing the illusion of happiness that does not exist creates impermanence. 172-103 (111) 151-88 Inconstancy—When we touch people, we think we are touching a common organ.He is indeed an organ, but he is a strange, shifting, changing organ (his pipes are not arranged in successive scales).Those who only know how to touch the ordinary organ cannot play harmony on it.We have to know where the [sound touch] is.

171-102 (112) 295-122 Impermanence—Things have various qualities, and souls have various inclinations; for nothing presents itself to the soul purely, and the soul never presents itself purely to any subject.So it happens that we cry and laugh at the same thing. 173-54 (113) 115-123 To be capricious and to be strange--to live and rule the most powerful country in the world by the labor of one's own labor alone are two very opposite things.The two are combined.On the body of the Turkish Maharaja alone. 28—983 (114) 326—124 There are as many varieties as there are voices, steps, coughs, snots, and sneezes. ... We distinguish the various grapes by their fruit, among them Muscat, and Condreux, and Dessargues, and various grafts.Does that do it all?Have there never been two clusters of grapes on one branch?Are there no two grapes in a bunch the same?etc.

I don't judge the same thing exactly the same.I can't judge my work while I'm doing it; I have to be like a painter, I have a distance, but not too far.So, how far?Please guess. 29-113 (115) 879-133 Diversity—Theology is one science, and yet how many sciences it is at the same time!A man is a whole; but if we dissect him, wouldn't he be head, heart, stomach, veins, every vein, every part of veins, blood, every drop of blood? A city and a field, from a distance, it is a city and a field; but as we approach them, they are houses, trees, bricks, leaves, grass, ants, ants' feet, and so on to infinity.All this is included in the name of the field.

125-244 (116) 205-134 Thought - all are one and all are different.How many natures, how many endowments there are in human nature! And from what chance each one usually chooses what he himself has heard others esteem!Well turned heel. 126-72 (117) 174-90 Heel—"Ah! How well it turns! What a craftsman is this! How brave is this soldier!" This is the source of our inclinations and our choice of circumstances. "What a good drinker this man is, and what a bad drinker that man is!" It is it that makes a man sober or intoxicated, makes him a soldier, a coward, and so on.

129-168 (118) 165-91 The chief intellect, which dictates everything else. 31-954 (119) 405-92 Nature imitates itself: a grain sown in a good soil yields; a principle sown in a good spirit yields; numbers imitate spaces, which are so different in nature. All are made and directed by the same Lord: root, branch, fruit; principle, fruit. 27-953 (120) 66-93 [Nature is dividing and imitating; artificial is imitating and dividing. 〕 128-347 (121) 110-94 Nature always begins the same thing afresh, year, day, hour; space and number likewise continue each other from beginning to end.This creates a kind of infinity and eternity.It's not that there's something infinite and eternal in all of this, but that these finite beings repeat themselves endlessly.Therefore, I thought it was only the number that made them repeat that was infinite.

112-206 (122) 454-95 Time heals sorrow and disputes because we change and we are never the same again.Neither the aggressor nor the violated are themselves anymore.It's as if we have offended a nation and come back to it two generations later.It is still French, but not quite the same French. 113-924 (123) 389-96 He no longer loves the man he loved ten years ago.I am convinced: she is no longer the same person, and neither is he.He was young then, and so was she; she is completely different now.If she was what she was then, perhaps he would still love her. 114-147 (124) 73-98 Not only do we see things from different sides, but we see them with different eyes; we do not intend to find them alike.

159-239 (125) 437-116 Contrast—Man is naturally credulous, unbelieving, timid, and reckless. 160-158 (126) 174-117 Describing the person: dependency, desire for independence, life needs. 199-61 (127) 414-97 The human condition: fickle, bored, restless. 200 - 159 (128) 171 - 121 The boredom we feel when we get out of the work we do.A man lives happily in his own home; if he sees a woman he likes, or after five or six days of fun, if he returns to his old work, then he will It's going to be miserable.This kind of thing is the most common. 198-163 (129) 399-118 Our nature is in motion; perfect rest is death.

202-273 (130) 441-100 Agitation—When a soldier complains of his suffering, or a workman, etc., let him try doing nothing. 201-160 (131) 406-101 Boredom—There is nothing more intolerable to a man than to be at complete rest, devoid of passion, idleness, diversion, and occupation.At this time, he will feel his own nothingness, his own degradation, his own powerlessness, his own dependence, his own incompetence, and his own emptiness.From the depths of his soul boredom, gloom, sorrow, sorrow, vexation, despair arise at once. 179-86 (132) 439-41 I thought Caesar was too old to take pleasure in conquering the world.Such pleasures are best for Augustus or Alexander; they are young and therefore irrepressible; whereas Caesar would have been much more mature. 115-50 (133) 90-452 Two similar faces, each of which would not make people laugh alone, but together they make people laugh because of their resemblance. 116-77 (134) 408-451 How illusory is painting!It is admired for its resemblance to things, but not for the original things. 203-276 (135) 85-453 Nothing pleases us more than struggle than victory: we prefer to see animals fight, rather than the violent victor trampling on the vanquished; but what would we want to see if not a victorious end?But when it comes, we are fed up with it.As is the case with games, so is the pursuit of truth.In controversy we love to see the clash of opinions, but we refuse to think at all of the truth as it is discovered; in order to observe it with joy, we must see that it was born out of controversy.Likewise, in love, it is interesting to see conflict between opposing parties; but when one party dominates, it is nothing but brutality.What we pursue is never the thing itself, but the exploration of things.So in comedy, only.Desirable scenes without apprehension are worthless; so are hopeless extremes of pathos, animal love, and brutal severity. 175-80 (136) 102-455 A little thing can comfort us, because a little thing can hurt us. 204-274 (137) 107-454 It is not necessary to examine particular trades, but only to be able to understand them at leisure. 205-277 (138) 84-456 Man is naturally a craftsman and all other occupations except in his own house. 205-269 (139) 173-457 Pastime--When I have sometimes engaged myself in considering the different passions of men, and the dangers and pains which they face at court, and in war, and which have given rise to so many quarrels, passions, and arduous trials. Often bad adventures, etc.; I have found that all human misfortune stems from one single thing, and that is not knowing how to stay quietly in the house.A person who has enough wealth to live, if he knows how to stay at home happily, he will not leave home to sail across the ocean or attack cities and lands.They would not have purchased a service so costly if they had not found it intolerable not to be able to leave the city; and they would not have sought society and entertainment had it not been for the fact that they could not be happy in their own homes. Pastime. But when I thought about it further, and having found the cause of all our misfortunes, I wanted to discover its reason; I found that it had a very practical reason, and that reason was that we human beings are terribly weak. the natural misfortune of that state of affairs; and it is so deplorable that, when we think about it carefully, there is nothing to comfort us. Whatever we may picture for ourselves, if we could add together all the good that may be ours, the throne is always the fairest position in the world.But let us imagine a king who has all the satisfactions within his reach, but if he has no amusement, if we only allow him to consider and think about his actual condition, this tedious happiness will not support him, and he will necessarily Broken down by the prospects that threatened him, the possible rebellion, and finally the inevitable death and disease; The humblest subjects--they are merry-seekers--are still more unhappy. That is why gambling, girlfriends, wars, and great positions are so sought after.Not that there is actually any happiness, nor that men imagine there is any real blessing in the money they gamble or in the rabbits they hunt: if that comes to their door, They don't want it.It is not the enjoyment of effeminate tranquillity that men seek, which reminds us of our unfortunate state, nor the danger of war, nor the misery of office, but the haste which diverts our minds and makes us We are happy. People love hunting more than hunting. That is why people love noise and commotion so much; that is why prison is such a terrible punishment; that is why solitary pleasure is such an incomprehensible thing.Hence the constant effort to please the king, and to seek every kind of pleasure for him,--this matter at last became the greatest subject of happiness in the king's condition. A king is surrounded by people dedicated to making the king happy and keeping him from thinking of himself.For though he is king, he too will be unhappy if he thinks of himself. This is all that man can invent to make himself happy.And at this point, those who become philosophers who believe that there is no reason for the world to spend all day chasing a rabbit that they have no desire to buy are ignorant of our nature.The rabbit does not keep us from seeing death and misery, but the hunt—which diverts our sight—does. It was indeed difficult to persuade Pyrus to enjoy the tranquility which he was seeking with great fatigue. [To wish a man a peaceful life is to wish him a happy life, to advise him to a state of complete happiness in which he is free to contemplate without finding any painful theme in it.But this is ignorance of nature. [Since those who are naturally feeling their own condition have nothing to hide from than peace; so they will do anything to look for trouble.It is not that they have an instinct which enables them to know true happiness. ... the vanity, the pleasure of showing it off to others. [Therefore, if we blame them, we are wrong.Their fault was not in pursuing the fuss, if they pursued it only as a diversion; their fault was in pursuing it as if enjoying what they sought would make them truly happy, but precisely in At this point we have reason to condemn them as pursuing vanity.Thus on this whole issue, neither the censure nor the blamed understand true human nature. ] Therefore, when we reproach them that what they pursue with such zeal does not satisfy them; What is sought therein is nothing but a violent and stirring activity, to divert thoughts from themselves, and it is for this that they offer themselves an object of intense fascination; There is nothing to say. Yet they did not answer in this way, because they did not know themselves.They do not know that what they are after is the hunt and not the game. (Dancing: must think well where we are going. A gentleman sincerely believes that hunting is a great pleasure, a noble pleasure, but a hunter does not.) They imagined that if they had obtained that position, they would be happy and peaceful, without feeling their greedy nature.They think they are sincerely seeking peace, when in reality they are seeking nothing more than excitement. They have a secret instinct which drives them to pastimes and extraterrestrial activities, which springs from resentment of their own inexhaustible misery; at the same time they have another secret instinct based on our great primitive I realized that happiness really consists only in tranquility, not in chaos.And these two opposite instincts form in them a chaotic disposition, hidden from their sight in the depths of their souls, but driving them to seek peace through stimulation; In imagining the kind of contentment they would never have had at last, if, having overcome some of the difficulties they faced, they could henceforth open the door to peace. The whole life goes by like this.We strive for tranquility by fighting some obstacle; but if we overcome the obstacle, the tranquility becomes unbearable again; for we think either of our misery or of misery that may threaten us.And even if we see ourselves fully secure in every respect, boredom, by its secret force, cannot but arise from the depths of the heart, where it has its natural roots, and with its poison fill our spirits. Man, therefore, is so unfortunate that, even if he had no cause for being bored, he would be bored from a state inherent in his character; but the smallest thing, such as hitting a marble or a ball, is enough to make him happy. But tell me, what is his purpose in all this?Just to boast among his friends tomorrow that he played better than another.Likewise, someone sweats profusely in his room in order to show scholars that he has solved some algebraic problem that no one has seen before.Many more risked their lives in order to later— And it seems to me extremely stupid - to boast that he once attacked a certain place.Finally, there are those who spend their whole lives studying all these things, not to become wiser, but merely to show that they understand them; and such are the stupidest of the lot Yes, because they are knowledgeable and stupid, whereas we can think of other people who would not be so stupid if they also had this knowledge. A man who spends his life betting a little bit of money every day will never be bored.But if you gave him every morning the sum of the money he might win that day, on condition that he never gamble; you would make him unhappy.Some may say that what he is after is the pleasure of gambling rather than winning money.Then let him play games that don't win money, and he will definitely feel uninteresting and boring.It is not merely entertainment that he seeks, therefore; a listless, unenthusiastic entertainment would bore him.He must feel passionate, and deceive himself into fancying himself happy by acquiring what he would never have thought anyone else could give him if he hadn't gambled at all; Subject, and in this way stimulates its own wishes, its own anger and fears in order to this goal it proposes itself, like a child afraid of a grimace that he has painted. The man who had just lost his only son a few months ago and who looked so troubled this morning by lawsuits and lawsuits was no longer thinking about them now; why was that?You needn't be surprised: He was absorbed in observing where the boar had gone that the hounds had pursued so vigorously six hours before.He needs nothing else.However full of sorrows a man may be, he will be happy at the moment if we can get hold of him and get him into some amusement; and however happy a man may be, if he is not Amusing or intoxicating himself with some passion or amusement sufficient to prevent boredom from spreading, he is at once sad and unhappy.There can never be joy without amusement, and there can never be sorrow with amusement.And this is what constitutes the happiness of men of position, that they have a multitude of people to keep them happy, and that they have the power to maintain themselves in this state. Please pay attention to this!A man who is a superintendent, comptroller, or chief governor, is either in a position or has a crowd from far and wide from early in the morning, in order not to let them think of themselves for a quarter of an hour in a day; what else?But when they fell, when they were sent home,— When they returned home, they had neither riches nor servants to attend to their needs—they could not but be poor, for there was no one to keep them from thinking of themselves. 176-275 (140) 186-102 [The man who mourns so much for the death of his wife and only son, or who is troubled by a great dispute, is not sad at the moment, we see how he can be so free from all sad and restless thoughts ; What is the reason for this?We need not be surprised; a ball has been thrown to him, and he must return it to the opponent, and he is bent on catching the ball that falls from it, in order to win the round; and since he has the other To deal with, how can you expect him to think about his own affairs?It was a concern sufficient to occupy that great soul, and to exclude all other thoughts of his mind.This man was born to know the whole universe, to judge all things, to rule the whole country, and the concern for catching a hare occupied him and filled him entirely.And if he refuses to lower himself to this level, and wants to be tense all the time, then he is only extraordinarily stupid, because he wants to make himself more than human; He is a man, that is to say, he can do nothing and do a lot, can do everything and can do nothing: he is neither an angel nor a beast, but only a man. 〕 177-76 (141) 455-407 One can devote one's attention to chasing a ball or a hare; it is even a king's pleasure. 206-270 (142) 214-214 Recreation—Is not the majesty of kings not great enough in itself for the man who enjoys it to be happy merely by contemplating what he has?Does he have to dispel this kind of longing, just like ordinary people? I have indeed seen men distracted from the sight of their own family's misery with the thought of dancing well in order to fill all their thoughts and make themselves happy.But would a king be like that?Was he happier chasing these vain pleasures than appreciating his own greatness?What more gratifying goal could one offer his spirit?Would it not detract from his joy to devote his soul to the beat of a tune, to regulate his steps, or to hit a [ball] accurately, instead of peacefully enjoying the regal spectacle around him? entertainment?Let us do an experiment: suppose we leave the king alone, without any sensual gratification, without any spiritual cares, without a companion, thinking only of himself at leisure; then we shall see that a king A person who lacks entertainment will also become a person full of sorrow.That is why men are so careful to avoid it, that there is never without a crowd of people at the King's side, who make their amusements follow their business, and who watch the King's leisure from time to time, so as to furnish him with pleasure and games, so that he would never be idle; that is to say, the king was surrounded by many people who took pains to prevent him from being alone and lost in his own thoughts, for they knew very well that although he A king, but still he would be miserable if he thought of himself. When I speak of all this about Christian kings, it is by no means as if they were Christians, but only as kings. 207-272 (143) 109-405 Recreation—We bring up men to worry about their own honor, their own riches, their friends, and even the riches and honors of their friends.We burden them with business, learning languages, and exercise; and we make them understand that they cannot be happy unless their health, their honour, their wealth, and those of their friends are in good order. , and the absence of any one of them makes them unlucky.We thus place upon them all kinds of burdens and affairs, which make them miserable from the first day of the morning. —— You may say, this is a strange way to make them happy!So what else can we do to make them unhappy? --what!What else can we do?We have only to remove all these cares; for then they will see themselves, and they will think what they are, whence they came, and where they are going; Distracted or distracted.And this is why, after so many things have been arranged for them, we advise them to engage in amusement, play, and always be fully occupied with something, if they still have time to relax. How empty and full of filth is the human heart! 80-756 (144) 109-406 I have been involved in abstract science for a long time, and I am disappointed by the small number of people I can contact in this area.When I began to study man, I saw that these abstract sciences were not for man, and that my study of them would lead me astray more than other people's ignorance of them.I forgive others for knowing so little about these things.However, I believe that at least a lot of comrades can be found who study people, which is really suitable for research work on people.But I was mistaken; there are fewer people who study man than geometry.It is precisely because people do not know how to study people that people study other things; but is this not knowledge that a person should have, and that he had better be ignorant of himself in order to be happy? 209-264 (145) 448-147 [Only one thought can occupy us, and we cannot think two things at once; and that is fine in the eyes of the world, but not in the sight of God. 〕 210-226 (146) 372-152 Man is evidently made for thinking; that is all his dignity and all his excellence; and all his duty is to think as he ought.And the order of thought begins with himself and with his creator and his destination. But what are people thinking about?I never thought about this, but only thought about dancing, playing the flute, singing, composing poems, betting games, etc., thinking about fighting and being a king, but not about what it means to be a king or what it means to be a man. 145-169 (147) 124-18 We refuse to content ourselves with the life we ​​have in ourselves and in our own existence: we desire an imaginary life to live in other people's ideas; and we seek to express ourselves for its sake.We are constantly trying to dress up and maintain this imaginary existence of ours, while ignoring real existence.If we have serenity or generosity or fidelity, we are eager to let others know, in order to add these virtues to our other life, we would rather take them from us to add to that other life. A survival; we willingly be cowards in order to gain the reputation of being brave.One of the great signs of the emptiness of our own existence is that we are not content with the one without the other, and often trade the one for the other!For whoever refuses to die to preserve his honor is dishonored. 151—235 (148) 175—159 We are so arrogant that we want to be known to the world, even to those who will come after we are gone; and we are so vain that the respect of five or six people around us will make us Delighted and satisfied. 152-68 (149) 108-151 We pass a town and we don't care to be respected by it.But when we stop here a little longer, we're going to care about that.How much time will it take?That time is only proportional to our vain, insignificant lifetime. 153-94 (150) 456-153 Vanity is so pervasive that soldiers, horsemen, cooks, marshals, etc., flaunt themselves and want to have their admirers; even philosophers aspire to it.He who writes against it wants the glory of writing well; he who reads him wants the glory of having read him; and I write here perhaps with this envy; and People who read it may just... 149-111 (151) 258-148 Glory—praise corrupts all from childhood, ah!How well said!what!What a job he did!How wise he is!etc. The children of Pou Royale were not stimulated by such admiration and glory, and they were reduced to indifference. 146-157 (152) 212-149 Pride—Curiosity is nothing but vanity.Most often, people want to know only in order to talk about it.Otherwise, if it were for the sake of silence, if it were for the mere pleasure of viewing that we did not wish to tell, we should never have taken a voyage. 150-93 (153) 88-150 As regards the desire to command the respect of those with us--in our miseries, mistakes, etc., pride so naturally takes possession of us. We are even glad to lose our own lives, if only people would talk about it. Vanity: Games, Hunting, Visitation, Comedy, Vanity's name is immortalized. 233-88 (154) 101-158 [I have no friends at all] to your advantage. 157-919 (155) 351-156 It is a great advantage, even to the most eminent princes, to have a true friend, that he may speak well of them and stand behind them themselves, and they should make every effort to Get a real friend.Yet they must choose well: for if they try their best and find only fools, it will be of no use to them, no matter how well these fools speak of them; and if they happen to be the weakest , not even speaking well of them, because these people have no prestige; therefore these people are speaking ill of them in the midst of a crowd. 155-66 (156) 165-157  Eerox gens, nullam esse vitam sine armis rati.They prefer death to peace; others prefer death to war. All opinions may be more desirable than life, though the love of life seems so strong and so natural. 156-238 (157) 152-155 Contradiction: contempt for our existence, senseless death, hatred of our existence. 154-74 (158) 126-209 Career—glory has so much sweetness that we love whatever it is attached to, even death. 148-703 (159) 128-125 It is most respectable to conceal good deeds.When I read some of them in history (eg p. 184), they bring me great joy. Yet they were not entirely concealed, for they were known; and though they were concealed as far as possible, the little that they revealed polluted the whole; for the best thing in it was Just trying to hide them. 267-940 (160) 131-126 Sneezing also attracts all the faculties of our soul, like any other work; but we cannot draw from it the same great conclusions against man, because it is against man's will.而且尽管是我们自己得到它的，然而我们自己之得到它却是违反自己的意愿的；它并非着眼于这件事的本身，而是为了另一个目的：所以它并不是人的脆弱性以及他在那种行为中处于奴役状态的一种标志。 人屈服于忧伤并不可耻，但是屈服于欢乐就可耻了。这并不是由于忧伤是自外加之于我们的，而我们自己则追求的是欢乐；因为我们也可以追求忧伤并有意地向忧伤屈服却并不那么可鄙。那末，又何以屈服于忧伤的力量之下，在理智看来就是光荣的；而屈服于欢乐的力量之下，在理智看来就是可耻的呢？那是因为并不是忧伤在诱惑我们并吸引我们；而是我们自己自愿地选择了忧伤并且要使它主宰我们自己；从而我们就是这件事的主人，并且在这一点上也就是人屈服于他自己；但是在欢乐之中却是人屈服于欢乐。 因而，造成光荣的就仅仅是主宰和统治，而造成耻辱的则是奴役。 178—53（161）417—105 虚荣——象世上的虚荣那样一宗显然可见的东西，却会如此之不为人所认识，竟连说追求伟大是桩蠢事都成了一件稀奇可怪的事了；这才真是最可惊叹的事！ 180—90（162）94—106 谁要是想充分认识人的虚荣，就只消考虑一下爱情的原因和效果。爱情的原因是“我不知道为什么”（高乃依），而爱情的效果又是可怖的。这种“我不知道为什么” 是微细得我们无法加以识别的东西，但却动摇了全国、君主、军队、全世界。 克利奥巴特拉的鼻子；如果它生得短一些，那末整个大地的面貌都会改观。 180—83，388（163）129—107 虚荣——爱情的原因和效果：克利奥巴特拉。 211—73（164）457—181 谁要是看不见人世的虚荣，他本人就一定是非常之虚荣的。而且除了年青人完全沉溺于喧嚣、作乐和思念着未来而外，又有谁会看不见它呢？但是，取消他们的作乐吧，你就看到他们也会由于无聊而枯萎的；这时候他们就会感到自己的空虚而又并不认识它： 因为一旦人们沦于思考自己而又无以排遣，处于一种不堪忍受的悲哀境地时，那确实是非常不幸的。 212—118，156（165）94—182 思想——In omnibus requiem quaesivi 假如我们的境遇真正是幸福的，我们就无须排遣自己对它的思想，以求自己幸福了。 218—271（166）359—109 消遣——毫没有想到死而死，要比想到毫没有危险而死更容易忍受。 215—33（167）323—190 人生的可悲就奠定了这一切；既然他们看到了这一点，他们就从事排遣。 213—267（168）118—172 消遣——人类既然不能治疗死亡、悲惨、无知，他们就认定为了使自己幸福而根本不要想念这些。 214—266（169）147—174 尽管有着这些悲惨，人还是想要能够幸福，并且仅仅想要能够幸福而不能不想要幸福；然而他又怎样才能掌握幸福呢？为了要好好做到这一点，他就必须使自己不朽；然而既然不能不朽，所以他就立意不让自己去想到死。 216—265（170）317—110 消遣——假如人是幸福的，那么他越是不消遣就会越发幸福，就象圣人或者上帝那样。——是的；然而能够享受消遣，难道不也是幸福吗？——不是的；因为幸福是从别的地方、是从外部来的；因而它是依赖性的，并且可能受到千百种意外事件的干扰而造成无可避免的痛苦。 217—128（171）299—112 可悲——唯一能安慰我们之可悲的东西就是消遣，可是它也是我们可悲之中的最大的可悲。因为正是它才极大地防碍了我们想到自己，并使我们不知不觉地消灭自己。若是没有它，我们就会陷于无聊，而这种无聊就会推动我们去寻找一种更牢靠的解脱办法了。可是消遣却使得我们开心，并使我们不知不觉地走到死亡。 168—84（172）271—111 我们从来都没有掌握住现在。我们期待着未来，好象是来得太慢了，好象要加快它那进程似的；不然，我们便回想着过去，好拦阻它别走得太快：我们是那么轻率，以致于我们只是在并不属于我们的那些时间里面徘徊，而根本就不想到那唯一是属于我们所有的时间；我们又是那么虚妄，以致于我们梦想着那种已经化为乌有的时间，而不加思索地错过了那唯一存在的时间。这乃是由于现在通常总是在制痛着我们。我们把它从我们的心目之前遮蔽起来，因为它使我们痛苦；假如它使我们愉悦的话，我们就要遗憾于看到它消逝了。 我们努力在用未来去顶住它，而且还想把我们无能为力的事物安排到我们并没有任何把握可以到达的时间里去。 假使每个人都检查自己的思想，那他就会发见它们完全是被过去和未来所占据的。 我们几乎根本就不想到现在；而且假如我们想到的话，那也不过是要借取它的光亮以便安排未来而已。现在永远也不是我们的目的：过去和现在都是我们的手段，唯有未来才是我们的目的。 因而我们永远也没有在生活着，我们只是在希望着生活；并且既然我们永远都在准备着能够幸福，所以我们永远都不幸福也就是不可避免的了。 190—139（173）327—113 他们说日月蚀预兆着不幸；因为不幸是常见的，从而当不幸是如此之经常临头时，他们也就是经常猜中了。反之，假如他们说日月蚀预兆着幸福，那么他们就会是经常撒谎了。他们把幸福仅只归之于罕见的天象遇合，因而他们往往是很少猜不中的。 169—117，126（174）79—108 可悲——所罗门和约伯是最认识而又最善于谈论人的可悲的：前者是最幸福的，后者是最不幸福的；前者从经验里认识到快乐的虚幻，后者则认识到罪恶的真实。 220—148（175）878—136 我们对自己认识得那么少，以致有许多人在自己身体很好的时候就自以为要死了；又有许多人当他们已临近死亡的时候却以为自己身体很好，并没有感到热病临头或者是肿瘤就要长出来了。 221—203（176）297—140 克伦威尔要蹂躏整个的基督教世界：王室被推翻了，而他自己的王朝则是永远强盛的；只是有一小块尿沙在他的输尿管里形成了。就连罗马也在他的脚下战栗；然而这一小块尿沙既经在那里面形成，于是他就死了，他的王朝也垮台了，一切又都平静了，国王又复辟了。 224—110（177）307—141 〔三个东道主〕一个曾享有英国国王、波兰国王和瑞典女王的友谊的人，难道会相信自己在世上竟找不到一个隐退和容身之所吗？ 225—597（178）302—161 马克罗比乌斯：论被希律王所屠杀的无辜者。 225—612（179）315—132 当奥古斯都听说，希律下令把两岁以内的孩子一律处死，而其中也有希律自己的孩子在内时；奥古斯都就说，作希律的猪还比作他的儿子好一些。马克罗比乌斯，《农神节书》第二卷、第四章。 223—258（180）337—162 大人物和小人物有着同样的意外、同样的烦恼和同样的热情；然而一个是在轮子的顶端，而另一个则靠近中心，因而在同样的运动中动荡也就较小。 164—104（181）336—744 我们是那么不幸，以致唯有在某件事若搞不好就会使我们烦恼的情况之下，我们才会对于那件事感兴趣，因为我们有千百件事情可以做，并且是时时都在做着。〔谁〕要是发见了可以享受好事而又不为相反的坏事所烦恼的秘密，他就找到了要害；而那就是永恒的运动。 165—307（182）335—103 凡处于困境之中而总是怀着良好的希望并且享受了幸运之乐的人，假如不是对坏事也同样地感到痛苦的话，就会被人怀疑是幸灾乐祸了；他们喜出望外地发见能有这些希望作借口，以便显示自己对它的关切，并且以他们对此所佯为抱有的快乐，来掩饰他们看到事情失败时所怀有的那种快乐。 226—342（183）328—104 当我们在自己眼前放一些东西妨碍我们看见悬崖时，我们就会无忧无虑地在悬崖上面奔跑了。