雙語智慧書·認清自身喜愛的缺點

161．認清自身喜愛的缺點
　　認清自身喜愛的缺點。最完美的人也有自己喜歡的缺點，這些缺點像明媒正娶那樣堂而皇之，或像不合法關系那樣遮遮掩掩。這些缺點通常是才智方面的，越是有才華的人，其缺點越嚴重，或越明顯。并非這些人不知道自己有缺點，而是因為他們喜歡這些缺點。這是雙重的不幸--因這些缺點本可改掉，但他們卻愛得荒唐。這些缺點是完美的瑕疵，令本人高興，卻令他人生厭。消除這些缺點是件很了不起的事，還可帶來其他優(yōu)秀品質(zhì)。不然，人們很容易就能看出這種缺點，在審查你的資質(zhì)時，會緊盯這一污點不放，并盡量抹黑它，使你的其他才干也被掩藏。


161．Know your pet faults
　Know your pet faults. The most perfect of men has them, and is either wedded to them or has illicit relations with them. They are often faults of intellect, and the greater this is, the greater they are, or at least the more conspicuous. It is not so much that their possessor does not know them: he loves them, which is a double evil: irrational affection for avoidable faults. They are spots on perfection; they displease the onlooker as much as they please the possessor. It is a gallant thing to get clear of them, and so give play to one's other qualities. For all men hit upon such a failing, and on going over your qualifications they make a long stay at this blot, and blacken it as deeply as possible in order to cast your other talents into the shade.