世界上有两种人，这两种人拥有相同水平的健康、财富以及其他生活用品，而其中一种感到快乐，另一种感到悲伤。产生这种结果是由于他们认识东西、人和事情的视角不同，而这些不同的视角对他们的思想产生了影响。

人不论身处任何环境，都可能会觉得方便或不方便；不论在什么公司，都可能会觉得周围的人以及与他们的交往令自己愉快或不快。不论在什么样的餐桌上，都可能会觉得食物和饮料味道好或不好，菜肴烹饪得好或不好；不论什么气候都会觉得是好天气或坏天气；不论什么政府执政，都会觉得法律好或不好，这些法律的效果好或不好。每篇天才们写的诗或文章里他们都会找出缺点和优点。几乎在每张脸上他们都能发现美貌和缺陷，在每个人身上都能发现好品质和坏品质。

在这种情况下，前面提到的两种人中，那些注意到环境方便、对话令人快乐、菜肴烹饪得棒、酒味醇香、天气好并享受一切愉悦的人将是快乐的。那些只考虑、只谈论相反情况的人将不快乐。然后他们会不断地感觉不满，而他们的话往往扫了大家的兴，伤害了他人的感情，使他们不论在哪都是被人讨厌的。如果这样的思维倾向是天生的，这种不快乐的人实在值得同情。但这种令人厌恶的挑剔性格最初很可能是产生于模仿，然后在不知不觉中变成一种习惯。这种习惯现在很牢固，然而当这些人认识到这种习惯对他们的运气带来恶劣影响时，还是有可能改正的。我希望这个小忠告能对他们有用，使他们改掉一种始于模仿却会在人生中产生严重后果的习惯，因为它会带来真正的痛苦和不幸。因为很多人都被这样的人伤害过，没有人喜欢这种人，只勉强对他们表示最基本的礼貌和尊重；这通常会导致他们没有幽默感，并常常将他们引入驳斥和争论之中。如果这种人想获得权利或金钱上的利益，没有人会希望他们成功，没有人会帮他们一把，也没有人会说一句鼓励的话。如果他们激起民愤或当众出丑，没有人会帮他们说话或开脱，很可能会煽风点火指责他们的过错，说他们实在是太可恶了。如果这些人不改掉这个坏习惯，不愿为令人愉快的事感到高兴，非要因为事物的阴暗面自寻烦恼或打击别人，那么大家最好避免与他们交往，否则将会常常感到不愉快，有时会很麻烦，尤其当你卷入他们的争吵之中时。

我的一个哲学家老友因经验使然，对这种人非常小心，尽量避免与这种人交往。像其他哲学家一样，他用温度计得知冷暖，用晴雨表预测天气；但还没有任何仪器能在第一眼就测出这种令人不快的性格，为此他用他的双腿作为测量工具；一条腿完美无缺，另一条因事故而变畸形。如果一个陌生人在第一次会面中注意他的残腿多于美腿，他会开始怀疑对方的性格。如果对方谈论起残腿，毫不注意美腿，将足以让这位哲学家不再与他交往下去。并不是每个人都有这样的两条腿做工具，但每个稍微留点心的人都可能观察到挑剔和吹毛求疵的迹象，并做出同样的决定：不和沾染这种习性的人更多地交往。因此我建议那些苛刻、爱发牢骚、怨天尤人、不快乐的人，如果想得到他人的尊敬和喜爱并感到快乐，就不要再盯着那条残腿/就多往好处看看。

The Handsome and Deformed Leg

There are two sorts of people in the world, who with equal degrees of health and wealth, and the other comforts of life, become, the one happy, and the other miserable. This arises very much from the different views in which they consider things, persons, and events; and the effect of those different views upon their own minds.

In whatever situation men can be placed, they may find conveniencies and inconviniencies; in whatever company, they may find persons and conversation more or less pleasing. At whatever table, they may meet with meats and drinks of better and worse taste, dishes better and worse dressed; in whatever climate they will find good and bad weather; under whatever government, they may find good and bad laws, and good and bad administration of those laws. In every poem or work of genius they may see faults and beauties. In almost every face and every person, they may discover fine features and defects, good and bad qualities.

Under these circumstances, the two sorts of people above mentioned fix their attention, those who are to be happy, on the conveniencies of things, the pleasant parts of conversation, the well-dressed dishes, the goodness of the wines, the fine weather, and enjoy all with cheerfulness. Those who are to be unhappy, think and speak only of the contraries. Hence they are continually discontented themselves, and by their remarks sour the pleasures of society, offend personally many people, and make themselves everywhere disagreeable. If this turn of mind was founded in nature, such unhappy persons would be the more to be pitied. But as the disposition to criticize, and be disgusted, is perhaps taken up originally by imitation, and is unawares grown into a habit, which those at present strong may nevertheless be cured when those who have it are convinced of its bad effects on their felicity; I hope this little admonition may be of service to them, and put them on changing a habit, which those in the exercise it is chiefly an act of imagination yet has serious consequences in life, as it brings on real griefs and misfortunes. For as many are offended by, and nobody well loves this sort of people, no one shows them more than the most common civility and respect, and scarcely that; and this frequently puts them out of humor, and draws them into disputes and contentions. If they aim at obtaining some advantage in rank or fortune, nobody wishes them success, or will stir a step, or speak a word, to favor their pretensions. If they incur public censure or disgrace, no one will defend or excuse, and may join to aggravate their misconduct, and tender them completely odious. If these people will not change this bad habit, and condescend to be pleased with what is pleasing, without fretting themselves and others about the contraries, it is good for others to avoid an acquaintance with them; which is always disagreeable, and sometimes very inconvenient, especially when one finds one’s self entangled in their quarrels.

An old philosophical friend of mine was grown, from experience, very cautious in this particular, and carefully avoided any intimacy with such people. He had, like other philosophers, a thermometer to show him the heat of the weather, and a barometer to mark when it was likely to prove good or bad; but, there being no instrument invented to discover, at first sight, this unpleasing disposition in a person, he for that purpose made use of his legs; one of which was remarkably handsome, the other, by some accident, crooked and deformed. If a stranger, at the first interview, regarded his ugly leg more than his handsome one, he doubted him. If he spoke of it, and took no notice of the handsome one, that was sufficient to determine my philosopher to have no further acquaintance with him. Every body has not this two-legged instrument, but every one with a little attention, may observe signs of that carping, fault-finding disposition, and take the same resolution of avoiding the acquaintance of those infected with it. I therefore advise those critical, querulous, discontented, unhappy people, that if they wish to be respected and beloved by others, and happy in themselves they should leave off looking at the ugly leg.