理性看待自己和自己的事。初涉人世更要如此。人人都自视甚高，最没有资本的人自视最高。每人都梦想走运，并以为自己是个奇才。希望滋生非分之想，其实难以如愿。这种非分之想是烦恼的源泉，因为现实会让它幻灭。这种偏差，明智之人能够预见，他们总是抱着最好的期望，做最坏的打算，从而平静地接受任一结果。没错，把箭头瞄得高些，这很聪明，这样才能射中目标；但是不能瞄得太高，使得自己在人生之初就错过自己的目标。你应修正自己的想法，因为亲历之前，你的期望肯定飞得太高。小心谨慎是防止愚蠢的灵丹妙药。如果一个人了解自己的能力大小和自己真正的位置，他就能调节理想和现实的差距。
have reasonable views of yourself and of your affairs, especially in the beginning of life. everyone has a high opinion of himself, especially those who have least ground for it. everyone dreams of his good-luck and thinks himself a wonder. hope gives rise to extravagant promises which experience does not fulfil. such idle imaginations merely serve as a wellspring of annoyance when disillusion comes with the true reality. the wise man anticipates such errors: he may always hope for the best, but he always expects the worst, so as to receive what comes with equanimity. true, it is wise to aim high so as to hit your mark, but not so high that you miss your mission at the very beginning of life. this correction of the ideas is necessary, because before experience comes expectation is sure to soar too high. the best panacea against folly is prudence. if a man knows the true sphere of his activity and position, he can reconcile his ideals with reality.
