Most of the luxuries， and many of the so-called comforts of life， are not only not indispensable， but positive hindrances to the elevation of mankind.  With respect to luxuries and comforts， the wisest have ever lived a more simple and meagre life than the poor. The ancient philosophers， Chinese， Hindoo， Persian， and Greek， were a class than which none has been poorer in outward riches， none so rich in inward.  We know not much about them.  It is remarkable that we know so much of them as we do.  The same is true of the more modern reformers and benefactors of their race.  None can be an impartial or wise observer of human life but from the vantage ground of what we should call voluntary poverty.  Of a life of luxury the fruit is luxury， whether in agriculture， or commerce， or literature，or art.  There are nowadays professors of philosophy， but not philosophers.  Yet it is admirable to profess because it was once admirable to live.  To be a philosopher is not merely to have subtle thoughts， nor even to found a school， but so to love wisdom as to live according to its dictates， a life of simplicity， independence，magnanimity， and trust.  It is to solve some of the problems of life， not only theoretically， but practically.  The success of great scholars and thinkers is commonly a courtier-like success， not kingly， not manly.  They make shift to live merely by conformity，practically as their fathers did， and are in no sense the progenitors of a noble race of men.  But why do men degenerate ever？

　　What makes families run out？  What is the nature of the luxury which enervates and destroys nations？  Are we sure that there is none of it in our own lives？  The philosopher is in advance of his age even in the outward form of his life.  He is not fed， sheltered， clothed，warmed， like his contemporaries.  How can a man be a philosopher and not maintain his vital heat by better methods than other men？

　　When a man is warmed by the several modes which I have described， what does he want next？  Surely not more warmth of the same kind， as more and richer food， larger and more splendid houses，finer and more abundant clothing， more numerous， incessant， and hotter fires， and the like.  When he has obtained those things which are necessary to life， there is another alternative than to obtain the superfluities； and that is， to adventure on life now， his vacation from humbler toil having commenced.  The soil， it appears，is suited to the seed， for it has sent its radicle downward， and it may now send its shoot upward also with confidence.  Why has man rooted himself thus firmly in the earth， but that he may rise in the same proportion into the heavens above？ ―― for the nobler plants are valued for the fruit they bear at last in the air and light， far from the ground， and are not treated like the humbler esculents，which， though they may be biennials， are cultivated only till they have perfected their root， and often cut down at top for this purpose， so that most would not know them in their flowering season.

　　I do not mean to prescribe rules to strong and valiant natures，who will mind their own affairs whether in heaven or hell， and perchance build more magnificently and spend more lavishly than the richest， without ever impoverishing themselves， not knowing how they live ―― if， indeed， there are any such， as has been dreamed； nor to those who find their encouragement and inspiration in precisely the present condition of things， and cherish it with the fondness and enthusiasm of lovers ―― and， to some extent， I reckon myself in this number； I do not speak to those who are well employed， in whatever circumstances， and they know whether they are well employed or not；―― but mainly to the mass of men who are discontented， and idly complaining of the hardness of their lot or of the times， when they might improve them.  There are some who complain most energetically and inconsolably of any， because they are， as they say， doing their duty.  I also have in my mind that seemingly wealthy， but most terribly impoverished class of all， who have accumulated dross， but know not how to use it， or get rid of it， and thus have forged their own golden or silver fetters.

　　大部分的奢侈品，大部分的所謂生活的舒適，非但沒有必要，而且對人類進步大有妨礙。所以關于奢侈與舒適，最明智的人生活得甚至比窮人更加簡單和樸素。中國、印度、波斯和希臘的古哲學家都是一個類型的人物，外表生活再窮沒有，而內心生活再富不過。我們都不夠理解他們。然而可驚的一點是，我們居然對于他們知道得不少呢。近代那些改革家，各民族的救星，也都如此。唯有站在我們所謂的甘貧樂苦這有利地位上，才能成為大公無私的聰明的觀察者。無論在農業，商業，文學或藝術中，奢侈生活產生的果實都是奢侈的。近來是哲學教授滿天飛，哲學家一個沒有。然而教授是可羨的，因為教授的生活是可羨的。但是，要做一個哲學家的活，不但要有精美的思想，不但要建立起一個學派來，而且要這樣地愛智慧，從而按照了智慧的指示，過著一種簡單、獨立、大度、信任的生活。解決生命的一些問題，不但要在理論上，而且要在實踐中。大學問家和思想家的成功，通常不是帝王式的，也不是英豪式的，反而是朝臣式的成功。他們應付生活，往往求其與習俗相符合，像他們的父輩一般，所以一點不能成為更好的人類的始祖。可是，為什么人類總在退化？是什么使得那些家族沒落的？使國家衰亡的糜侈是什么性質的呢？在我們的生活中，我們能否確定自己并未這樣？哲學家甚至在生活的外形上也是處在時代前列的。他不像他同時代人那樣地吃喝、居住、穿著、取暖。一個人既是哲學家，怎會沒有比別人更好的養身的保持體溫的方法呢？

　　人已在我所描寫的幾種方式下暖和了，其次他要干什么呢？當然不會是同等樣的更多的溫暖。他不會要求更多更富足的食物，更大更光耀的房屋，更豐富更精美的衣服，更多更持久更灼熱的火爐等等了。他在得到了這些生命所必需的事物之后，就不會要過剩品而要有另一些東西；那就是說免于卑微工作的假期開始了，現在他要向生命邁進了。

　　泥土看來是適宜于種子的，因為泥土使它的胚根向下延伸，然后它可以富有自信地使莖向上茁長。為什么人在泥土里扎了根之后，不能援例向天空伸展呢？――因為那些更高貴的植物的價值是由遠離地面的、最后在空氣和日光中結成的果實來評定的，而不是像對待那低卑蔬菜的那樣。蔬菜就算是兩年生的植物，那也只是被培植到生好根以后，而且常被摘去頂枝，使得許多人在開花的季節都認不得它們。

　　我可不想給一些性格堅強的人定什么規章，他們不論在天堂地獄，都會專注于自己的事業，他們甚至比最富者建筑得更宏偉，揮霍得更厲害，卻不會因而貧團，我們不知道他們是如何生活的，――如果確實像人們夢想著的，有這種人存在的話；另外我也不給另一種人定出規章，他們是從事物的現狀中得到鼓勵，得到靈感，像情人一樣熱烈地珍愛現實――我認為我自己也屬于這種人的：還有那些人，在任何情況下都能安居樂業，不管他們知不知道自己是否安居樂業，那些人，我也不是向他們說話的。我主要是向那些不滿足的人說話，他們在應該可以改善生活的時候，卻偏偏只是懶洋洋地訴說他們的命苦和他們那時代的悲慘。有些人對任何事情，都叫苦連天，不可救藥地訴不完的苦，因為據他們說，他們是盡了他們的職責的。但我心目之中還有一種人，這種人看來闊綽、實際卻是所有階層中貧困得最可怕的，他們固然已積蓄了一些閑錢，卻不懂得如何利用它，也不懂得如何擺脫它，因此他們給自己鑄造了一副金銀的鐐銬。

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