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塞缪尔·斯迈尔斯：自助论·摘录 240
塞缪尔·斯迈尔斯《自助论》· Self-Help · 领导
The true character acts rightly, whether in secret or in the sight of men. That boy was well trained who, when asked why he did not pocket some pears, for nobody was there to see, replied, “Yes, there was: I was there to see myself; and I don’t intend ever to see myself do a dishonest thing.”—This is a simple but not inappropriate illustration of principle, or conscience, dominating in the character, and exercising a noble protectorate over it; not merely a passive influence, but an active power regulating the life. Such a principle goes on moulding the character hourly and daily, growing with a force that operates every moment. Without this dominating influence, character has no protection, but is constantly liable to fall away before temptation; and every such temptation succumbed to, every act of meanness or dishonesty, however slight, causes self-degradation. It matters not whether the act be successful or not, discovered or concealed; the culprit is no longer the same, but another person; and he is pursued by a secret uneasiness, by self-reproach, or the workings of what we call conscience, which is the inevitable doom of the guilty.
出处：
https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/935
定位：Excerpt 240 · 核对日期：2026-10-19 · 核验：短摘录
白话
真正的品格，无论在人前还是独处，都会做正确的事。有个男孩被问为什么不去摘梨，反正没人看见，他回答：“有人看见——我自己。我不愿看到自己做出不诚实的事。”这故事说明，原则或良心在品格中起主导作用，像守护者一样保护它；它不是被动的，而是主动调节生活。这种原则每时每刻都在塑造品格，力量不断增长。没有这种主导，品格就失去保护，容易在诱惑前跌倒；每次屈服，无论行为大小，都会让人自我贬低。行为成功与否、是否被发现都不重要，犯错的人已不再是原来的自己，内心会不安、自责，这就是良心的惩罚。
上下文
塞缪尔·斯迈尔斯《自助》一书，19世纪英国，强调品格与自我修养。
今日一问
今天有没有一件“没人看见”的小事，你愿意因为“自己看见”而选择诚实？
公版作品；原文逐字取自 Project Gutenberg，仅摘录段落并附全书链接。
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