投资 · 创业者自述

塞缪尔·斯迈尔斯:节俭·摘录 138

塞缪尔·斯迈尔斯《节俭》· Thrift · 投资

Nor has the poverty of the people so much to do with their social degradation as is commonly supposed. The question is essentially a moral one. If the income of the labouring community could be suddenly doubled, their happiness will not necessarily be increased; for happiness does not consist in money. In fact, the increased wages might probably prove a curse instead of a blessing. In the case of many, there would be an increased consumption of drink, with the usual results,--an increase of drunken violence, and probably an increase of crime.

出处: https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/14418
定位:Excerpt 138 · 核对日期:2026-10-19 · 核验:短摘录

白话

民众的贫穷与他们社会地位的低下,关系并没有通常以为的那么大。这本质上是个道德问题。就算劳动阶层的收入突然翻倍,他们的幸福也未必增加,因为幸福不在于钱。事实上,工资增加反而可能变成祸害而不是福气:对很多人来说,只会多喝酒,随之而来的是醉酒闹事增多,犯罪也可能增加。斯迈尔斯的意思是,别把一切问题都推给收入低;若不改变花钱和生活的习惯,多出来的钱反而会放大坏习惯。

上下文

19世纪英国工人收入有所提高,但酗酒、浪费等问题突出,斯迈尔斯在《节俭》中主张幸福取决于习惯与品德。

今日一问

如果我的收入突然增加,我的习惯会让它变成福气还是祸害?

公版作品;原文逐字取自 Project Gutenberg,仅摘录段落并附全书链接。

本文本为公版;底本与原文链接见上。 版权

← 返回原文库