事业 · 创业者自述
P.T. 巴纳姆：奋斗与胜利·补录 517
P.T. 巴纳姆《奋斗与胜利》· Struggles and Triumphs · 领导
He might more truly say, “if you can’t make a fool of yourself”; but he is “fast,” hates slow things, and don’t “see it.” Young men loaded down with other people’s money are almost sure to lose all they inherit, and they acquire all sorts of bad habits which, in the majority of cases, ruins them in health, purse and character. In this country, one generation follows another, and the poor of to-day are rich in the next generation, or the third. Their experience leads them on, and they become rich, and they leave vast riches to their young children. These children, having been reared in luxury, are inexperienced and get poor; and after long experience another generation comes on and gathers up riches again in turn. And thus “history repeats itself,” and happy is he who by listening to the experience of others avoids the rocks and shoals on which so many have been wrecked.
出处：
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/50115
定位：Additional excerpt 517 · 核对日期：2026-10-19 · 核验：短摘录
白话
这段话讲的是“富不过三代”的循环。年轻人如果拿着别人的钱，几乎肯定会败光，还染上坏习惯，多数人因此毁了健康、钱财和名声。在这个国家，一代接一代：今天的穷人，到下一代或第三代就富了，他们靠经验打拼致富，把大笔钱留给年幼的孩子；孩子在奢侈中长大，没经验，又变穷；再经过一代人的积累，财富又聚起来。历史就这样重演。聪明人是听别人的经验，避开那些让无数人翻船的暗礁。
上下文
巴纳姆在自传中观察美国财富代际更替的现象，提醒年轻人别因继承钱财而失去奋斗和经验。
今日一问
你从身边人的失败里，学到过哪条能让自己少走弯路的教训？
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