第2章 人性的弱点

Man Is the Causer of His Circumstances

詹姆斯·艾伦/James Allen

人们感兴趣的并不是他们想要什么东西，而是他们想要成为什么样的人。在任何时刻，他们的胡思乱想、心血来潮和野心勃勃都可能遭遇打击，然而不管肮脏还是纯洁，他们内心的思想和欲望都会自然而然地滋长起来。“命运之神”就藏在我们心里，它其实就是我们自己。能约束人类的只有人类自己：思想和行为是命运的狱卒——囚禁那些思想卑贱的人；与此同时，它们也是自由的天使——解放那些品德高尚的人。一个人所期盼和祈求的东西并不能如愿，他所得到的只是应得的。唯有思想和行为和谐一致时，他的期盼和祈求才会得到回应和满足。

既然事实如此，那么“与环境抗争”又有什么意义呢？它是指在一个人不断对抗外来压力时，心中却又一直滋长并留存着产生这种压力的思想。这种思想要么有意识地堕落，要么无意地被削弱。但不管是哪一种，它总是顽固地妨碍着一个人的发展，因此需要提醒他去矫正。

人们总是迫切希望改善环境，却从不肯改变自己。所以，他们做什么事都是麻烦不断。一个勇于自我反省的人在实现理想目标的道路上永远不会失败。这是一个恒久不变的真理。即使一个人唯一的目标就是获得财富，他也要在实现目标之前随时做好付出巨大牺牲的准备。那么，一个人要实现幸福、美满的人生，又要付出多大的代价呢？

假如有一个非常贫困的人，他迫不及待地想改善他的环境、享受舒适的生活，却又总是逃避工作，以薪水太低为借口欺骗老板。这样的人连真正致富的最简单基本的原则都不懂。他不但不能摆脱自己的悲惨处境，相反，因为沉迷于懒惰、欺骗和懦弱的思想中，他只会陷入更加悲惨的境地。

假如有一个富人，他因为暴饮暴食而长期饱受痛苦、疾病的折磨，他愿意付出大笔金钱来消除这种痛苦，却不肯放弃自己贪吃的欲望，他既想满足自己的口腹之欲，又想保持健康。像这样的人，完全不可能拥有健康，因为他不懂得健康生活的最基本原则。

假如有一个老板以欺骗的手段来逃避支付正常的薪水，更有甚者，为了牟取更大的利润而克扣工人的薪水，像这样的人是绝对不会发财的。当他发现自己既损毁了名誉又丧失了钱财的时候，他会抱怨环境，却不知道困境完全是自己造成的。

我在这里讲了三个例子，仅仅是为了证明一个真理：人就是自己环境的创造者（尽管几乎总是在无意识的状态下）。

Men do not attract that which they want， but that which they are. Their whims， fancies and ambitions are thwarted at every step， but their inmost thoughts and desires are fed with their own food， be it foul or clean.The "divinity that shapes our ends" is in ourselves；it is our very self.Only himself manacles man：thought and action are the gaolers of fate—they imprison， being base；they are also the angels of freedom—they liberate， being noble.Not what he wishes and prays for does a man get， but what he justly earns.His wishes and prayers are only gratified and answered when they harmonize with his thoughts and actions.

In the light of this truth， what， then， is the meaning of "fighting against circumstances？" It means that a man is continually revolting against an effect without， while all the time he is nourishing and preserving its cause in his heart. That cause may take the form of a conscious vice or an unconscious weakness；but whatever it is， it stubbornly retards the efforts of its possessor， and thus calls aloud for remedy.

Men are anxious to improve their circumstances， but are unwilling to improve themselves；they therefore remain bound. The man who does not shrink from self-crucifixion can never fail to accomplish the object upon which his heart is set.This is as true of earthly as of heavenly things.Even the man whose sole object is to acquire wealth must be prepared to make great personal sacrifices before he can accomplish his object；and how much more so he who would realize a strong and well-poised life？

Here is a man who is wretchedly poor. He is extremely anxious that his surroundings and home comforts should be improved， yet all the time he shirks his work， and considers he is justified in trying to deceive his employer on the ground of the insufficiency of his wages.Such a man does not understand the simplest rudiments of those principles which are the basis of true prosperity， and is not only totally unfitted to rise out of his wretchedness， but is actually attracting to himself a still deeper wretchedness by dwelling in， and acting out， indolent， deceptive， and unmanly thoughts.

Here is a rich man who is the victim of a painful and persistent disease as the result of gluttony. He is willing to give large sums of money to get rid of it， but he will not sacrifice his gluttonous desires.He wants to gratify his taste for rich and unnatural viands and have his health as well.Such a man is totally unfit to have health， because he has not yet learned the first principles of a healthy life.

Here is an employer of labor who adopts crooked measures to avoid paying the regulation wage， and， in the hope of making larger profits， reduces the wages of his work people. Such a man is altogether unfitted for prosperity， and when he finds himself bankrupt， both as regards reputation and riches， he blames circumstances， not knowing that he is the sole author of his condition.

I have introduced these three cases merely as illustrative of the truth that man is the causer (though nearly always is unconsciously) of his circumstances.