１．世間萬象已達極致
尤其是立身處世之道。如今世界造就一位賢人比古代造就希臘七賢更為不易；如今對付一個人所要付出的代價比過去對付整個民族所付出的代價還要大。
i Everything Is at Its Acme,
especially the art of making one’s way in the world. There is more required nowadays to make a single wise man than formerly to make Seven Sages , and more is needed nowadays to deal with a single person than was required with a whole people in former times.
2．性格與智能
乃人發揮才能之依托，二者缺其一，人生就無法完美。隻靠智慧是不夠的，還必須有一個適合於你的性格。此外，愚人是不幸的，因為他無法通過二者獲得與其適合的地位、職業、鄰裏及朋友。
ii Character and Intellect:
the two poles of our capacity; one without the other is but halfway to happiness. Intellect sufficeth not, character is also needed. On the other hand, it is the fool’s misfortune to fail in obtaining the position, the employment, the neighbourhood, and the circle of friends that suit him.
3．勿使所行之事公開亮底
出人意料的成功增加了成功的價值。把什麼事情都擺到明處是無用且愚蠢的。如果不急於表態，你就會讓人滿懷期待——尤其當你地位顯赫、成為眾人關注的焦點時。讓你的每件事都有點神秘色彩，這種神秘會讓你贏得別人的敬重。當你解釋時不要解釋得太過明白，正如你在平常聊天時不會暴露自己內心深處的想法一樣。大智慧需要謹慎的沉默來體現。你決心要做的事一旦被披露，不但很難獲得尊重，而且隻會招致批評，萬一失敗就會更加不幸。更何況，如果你能讓人們好奇並且觀察你，那你就在行神明之道。
iii Keep Matters for a Time in Suspense.
Admiration at their novelty heightens the value of your achievements, It is both useless and insipid to play with the cards on the table . If you do not declare yourself immediately, you arouse expectation, especially when the importance of your position makes you the object of general attention. Mix a little mystery with everything, and the very mystery arouses veneration . And when you explain, be not too explicit, just as you do not expose your inmost thoughts in ordinary intercourse. Cautious silence is the holy of holies of worldly wisdom. A resolution declared is never highly thought of; it only leaves room for criticism. And if it happens to fail, you are doubly unfortunate. Besides you imitate the Divine way when you cause men to wonder and watch.
４．知識和勇氣
是成就豐功偉業的條件。它們會讓你變得不朽，因為它們本身就是不朽的。知識可以成就一個人，一個智慧的人幾乎無所不能。一個人沒有知識正如世界沒有陽光。才智與力量好比人的雙眼與雙手。有識無膽者，其知識無法結出成功的果實。
iv Knowledge and Courage
are the elements of Greatness. They give immortality, because they are immortal. Each is as much as he knows, and the wise can do anything. A man without knowledge, a world without light. Wisdom and strength, eyes and hands. Knowledge without courage is sterile . ４．知識和勇氣
５．培養建立別人對你的依賴心理
神之所以成為神，並不在於人們把他做成飾物隨身佩帶，而在於人們對他的敬畏。聰明人寧願看到人們需要他，而不是感謝他。讓人們一直存有希望是精明的做法，相信人們會一直感激你則是笨拙的做法。當人心有所求時，他便能銘心不忘，感謝之辭除了會促其忘卻恩情外一無用處。與其讓人對你彬彬有禮，不如讓人對你有依賴之心。人喝飽了水就會離井而去，被吃過的橘子會被從光鮮的水果盤扔到垃圾桶裏。一旦別人不再依賴你，他就不再對你畢恭畢敬。把這作為最重要的經驗之談吧：維持別人對你的依賴心理，不要完全滿足其需求。運用此法就連君王也可以輕鬆應付。但踐行此法需把握適度，不可過分，若隻是引而不發，則會使你誤入歧途，萬不可隻為一己之利而無視他人的艱難處境。
v Create a Feeling of Dependence.
Not he that adorns but he that adores makes a divinity. The wise man would rather see men needing him than thanking him. To keep them on the threshold of hope is diplomatic, to trust to their gratitude boorish ; hope has a good memory, gratitude a bad one. More is to be got from dependence than from courtesy . He that has satisfied his thirst turns his back on the well, and the orange once sucked falls from the golden platter into the waste-basket. When dependence disappears, good behaviour goes with it as well as respect. Let it be one of the chief lessons of experience to keep hope alive without entirely satisfying it, by preserving it to make oneself always needed even by a patron on the throne. But let not silence be carried to excess lest you go wrong, nor let another’s failing grow incurable for the sake of your own advantage.
６．至善至美
人非生而完美。每天，我們需堅持德業兼修，不斷進取，從而最終達到盡善盡美之境界，修行會使你秉性圓滿，聲名顯赫。完美之人趣味高雅，才智精純，判斷老練，意誌堅定。有些人永遠難以達到完美，總是有些缺憾。還有一些人則需要很長時間的修煉才會初見成效，取得進步。至善至美的人言語中透露著智慧，行為中透露著謹慎，上流社會仁人誌士願與之結交，樂與之為伍。
vi A Man at His Highest Point.
We are not born perfect: every day we develop in our personality and in our calling till we reach the highest point of our completed being, to the full round of our accomplishments, of our excellences. This is known by the purity of our taste, the clearness of our thought, the maturity of our judgment, and the firmness of our will. Some never arrive at being complete; somewhat is always awanting : others ripen late. The complete man, wise in speech, prudent in act, is admitted to the familiar intimacy of discreet persons, is even sought for by them.
７．不要顯得比上司高明
顯得比別人高明往往會招致怨恨，若是顯得比你的上司還要高明，那不但愚蠢，也可能致命。自以為高明的人總會招人厭惡，更容易招惹上司和人們的嫉恨。因此，應學會明哲保身，小心掩蓋自己的優點，例如：天生麗質的人衣著打扮可以隨意一點。也許有人不會在意你在運氣或性格方麵比他們好，但是絕對不會有一個人（更別說是王子了）能夠容忍你在智商上超越他們。智商被認為是人格特征之最高代表，冒犯別人智商無異於犯下彌天大罪。王公貴族更是希望在一切重大事情上顯示出他有比別人更高的智商。他們允許被人輔佐，而不是被超越，所以，當你想向他們提出忠告和建議時，你應該表現得好像是提醒他們忘掉的事，而不是指導他們做沒考慮到的事。此中處事之奧妙亦可從天上群星之狀況悟得，雖然星星是太陽的子民，也像太陽一樣明亮，但卻沒有哪顆星星敢和太陽爭輝！