远离烦恼。这种谨慎会有好的回报，它能让你避免许多纷扰，带来舒适与幸福。不要告诉别人坏消息，自己也不要接受这种消息，除非它对自己有益。有的人的耳朵已经被甜蜜的恭维话塞满了；有的人则听多了苦涩的谣言；还有的人，如果哪天没有烦恼便坐立不安，就像米斯利达提斯(1)那种人，每天都要吃点毒药。为了赢得他人的好感而使自己郁闷终生，也不是生活的法则，不管你与他多么亲密。别人帮你出谋划策，但却不担负任何责任，你不要为了赢得他的欢心而错失自己的机会。并且，只要帮助别人便意味着为难自己，要记住：最好不让他现在得到满足，以免你以后白白忍受痛苦。
avoid worry. such prudence brings its own reward. it escapes much, and is thus the midwife of comfort and so of happiness. neither give nor take bad news unless it can help. some men's ears are stuffed with the sweets of flattery; others with the bitters of scandal, while some cannot live without a daily annoyance no more than mithridates could without poison. it is no rule of life to prepare for yourself lifelong trouble in order to give a temporary enjoyment to another, however near and dear. you never ought to spoil your own chances to please another who advises and keeps out of the affair, and in all cases where to oblige another involves disobliging yourself, it is a standing rule that it is better he should suffer now than you afterwards and in vain.
(1) 本都国王，传说他常服用少量毒药使身体产生抗毒能力，以防被毒死。
