No young man starting life could have better capital than plenty of friends. They will strengthen his credit, support him in every great effort, and make him what, unaided, he could never be. Friends of the right sort will help him more-to be happy and successful-than much money or great learning.
Friendship is no one-sided affair. There can be no friendship without reciprocity. One cannot receive all and give nothing, or give all and receive nothing, and expect to experience the joy and fullness of true companionship.
Those who would make friends must cultivate the qualities which are admired and which attract. If you are mean, stingy and selfish, nobody will admire you. You must cultivate generosity and large-heartedness; you must be magnanimous and tolerant; you must have positive qualities, for a negative, shrinking, apologizing, round-about man is despised. You must believe in yourself. If you do not, others will not believe in you. You must look upward and be hopeful, cheery, and optimistic. No one will be attracted to a gloomy pessimist.
(摘自 Friendship by Orison Swett Marden)
參考譯文
人生剛起步的年輕人最好的資本莫過于擁有眾多的朋友。朋友可以增加他的聲望,會盡一切最大的努力支持他,并使他達到他獨自打拼的情況下絕不可能達到的成就。交對了朋友會比大筆的金錢或高深的學問更能讓他快樂和成功。
友誼決非一廂情愿的事。沒有互惠可能就毫無友誼可言。一個人若只是接受而不付出,或只是付出而不收獲,就無法期望能體驗到真摯友誼所帶來的快樂和滿足感。
想交朋友必須培養(yǎng)受人贊賞和吸引他人的品質。如果你吝嗇小氣又自私自利,沒人會欣賞你。你必須培養(yǎng)慷慨寬大的氣度;你必須有雅量并寬以待人;你必須要有積極的特質,因為消極退縮、唯唯諾諾、裹足不前的人總是讓人輕視。你必須信任自己,否則就不會獲得別人的信任。你必須要向前看,滿懷希望,愉快而樂觀。沒有人會理會一個沮喪的悲觀者。