中国聪明绝顶的人，是把人情世故琢磨得透里透的人；西方聪明绝顶的人，是把事物法理琢磨得透里透的人。

The most astute people in China are those who thoroughly understand human relationships and social strategies, while the most astute people in the West are those who thoroughly understand the principles and laws of things.

评选最普遍的人类恶行，撒谎或欺骗很可能会拔得头筹。当今社会，撒谎成风，骗子遍地。政治家骗、文化人骗、律师骗、商人骗、富人骗、穷人骗，甚至老师、医生也骗。在大学开设一门新学科“欺骗学”实属当务之急。作为一个人类心灵解剖师，我也需要多花费些心思在“谎言与欺骗”。

Selecting the most common human vices — lying or cheating — is likely to come out on top. In today's society, lying is all the rage, and cheating is everywhere. Politicians cheat, intellectuals cheat, lawyers cheat, businessmen cheat, rich people cheat, poor people cheat, and even teachers and doctors cheat. It is urgent to open a new discipline of "deception studies" in universities. As a human psyche analyst, I also need to spend more effort on "lies and deception."

我需要学习到老的几门功课：敬畏，感恩，良善，怜悯，自省，宽容，适度，戒怒。还有什么呢？

Here are the lessons that I must learn for the rest of my life: reverence, gratitude, kindness, compassion, self-reflection, forgiveness, moderation, and abstinence from anger. What else?

心情好时，我是一个彬彬有礼的人（虽然还称不上绅士），真希望哪天心情坏时亦如是。

When I'm in a good mood, I'm a courteous person (though not quite a real gentleman). I hope to be the same one day when I'm in a bad mood.

每个人都戴着至少一张面具而活。一个人活着最重要的工作之一，就是把你的这一张或这几张面具，尽量打磨得更精致些，可爱些。

Everyone lives with at least one mask on. One of the most important jobs of a person living is to polish one or several of your masks to be more refined and charming.

如果有人告诉你他/她从来没有说过谎，那他/她就是正在说谎。

If someone tells you that he or she has never lied, then he or she is lying.

我撒过谎，但极少。撒谎让我很不自在，脸红心跳，难堪沮丧，所以竭力避免其发生。

I have lied, but rarely. Lying makes me very uncomfortable, blushing, embarrassed and frustrated, so I try to avoid it.

好人也会撒谎。我有认识非常好的人也撒谎，虽然都是些无关紧要的白谎，我真为他们感到惋惜。

Good people lie too. I know some very good people who lie, even if they're trivial white lies. I really feel sorry for them.

谎话容易露馅，尤其是谎话说多了，露一次馅人设就挨了一刀，连挨几刀人设就彻底垮了。但是，撒谎成性的人不懂得这个简单道理，他们的人设建筑于谎言之上。

Lies are easily exposed, especially when they are told repeatedly. Even one exposure can tarnish a person's reputation, and repeated exposure can lead to complete ruin. Despite this simple truth, habitual liars fail to understand the consequences of their actions, as their entire persona is built on a foundation of lies.

“装”大致有两种级别：低级阶段装给他人看，是谓演戏；高级阶段装给自己看，是为入戏。

“永远不要说自己好，你就不会得罪人。”——妻说。她的意思是——永不自夸。说老实话，这点我现在还做不到，所以还是会得罪人，有意无意间。

感觉他人妒忌我时，我为什么会生气呢？我难道没有妒忌过他人？他人有和你一样的毛病，你有和他人一样的毛病，不是很正常吗？而且事情常常是：我也妒忌妒忌我的人，在不是他妒忌我的另些方面。

如果交友一定要志趣相投，那不如去多买几块镜子。