Do You Act—or React？

I walked with my friend to the news stand the other night，and he bought a paper，thanking the newspaper seller politely．The newspaper seller didn't even acknowledge it．

“A sullen fellow，isn't he？”，I asked．

“Oh，he's that way every night，”shrugge d my friend．

“Then why do you continue to be so polite to him？”I asked．

“Why not？”inquired my friend．“Why should I let him decide how I'm going to act？”

As I thought about this incident later，it occurred to me that the important word was“act”．My friend acts towards people；most of us react toward them．

He has a sense of inner balance which is lacking in most of us—he knows who he is，what he stands for，how he should behave．He refuses to return incivility， because then he would no longer be in command of his own conduct．

When we are enjoined in the Bible to return good for evil， we look upon this as a moral injunction —which it is．But it is also a psychological prescription for our emotional health．

Nobody is unhappier than the perpetual reactor．His center of emotional gravity is not rooted within himself，where it belongs，but in the world outside him．His spiritual temperature is always being raised or lowered by the social climate around him，and he is a mere creature at the mercy of these elements．

Praise gives him a feeling of euphoria， which is false，because it does not last and it does not come from self approval．Criticism depresses him more than it should，because it confirms his own secretly shaky opinions of himself．Snubs hurt him，and the merest suspicion of unpopularity in any quarter rouses him to bitterness．

A serenity of spirit cannot be achieved until we become the masters of our own action and attitudes．To let another determine whether we shall be rude or gracious，elated or depressed，is to relinquish control over our own personalities，which is ultimately all we possess．

The only true possession is self-possession．

Words and Expressions

news stand书报摊

- acknowledge v．注意到，意识到

- sullen adj．闷闷不乐的；阴郁的，阴沉的

- shrug v．耸肩（以表示冷淡，怀疑等）

- incivility n．粗鲁，粗野；不礼貌的行为

return good for evil以德报怨

- moral adj．道德的

- injunction n．禁令

- prescription n．处方，药方

- perpetual adj．终身的；永远的

at the mercy of任……摆布，在……前毫无办法

- euphoria n．极度愉快的心情；过度兴奋的情绪

- snub n．冷落，怠慢

- mere adj．仅仅的，只不过的；纯粹的

- serenity n．安详；宁静

- elated adj．兴高采烈的，得意扬扬的

- relinquish vt．交出，让给；（尤指不情愿地）放弃

- ultimately adv．最后；最终

Read and recite the following sentences：

（1）As I thought about this incident later，it occurred to me that the important word was“act”．My friend acts towards people；most of us react toward them．

（2）A serenity of spirit cannot be achieved until we become the masters of our own action and attitudes．To let another determine whether we shall be rude or gracious，elated or depressed，is to relinquish control over our own personalities，which is ultimately all we possess．

Now try and write out the sentences here：

（1）As I thought about this incident later，__________ the important word was“act”．My friend __________；most of us __________．

（2）A serenity of spirit __________ until we become the masters of __________．To let another determine whether we shall be __________，elated or depressed，is to relinquish control over our own personalities，which is ultimately all we possess．

参考译文

主动还是被动？

前两天晚上，我和朋友散步，走到一个书报摊前，朋友买了一份报纸，很礼貌地跟那位报贩道谢，然而那报贩却置若罔闻。

“他可真是个沉闷的家伙，不是吗？”我批评道。

“噢，他每晚都是这样。”朋友耸耸肩说。

“那你为什么还对他这么有礼貌？”我问道。

“为什么不呢？”朋友反问道，“我怎么做，为什么要让他决定？”

后来，我反复思索着这件小事，终于悟出了重要的一点，即“主动去做”。朋友的举动是主动待人，而我们大多数都是被动的回应。

他拥有内心的平衡感，而我们大多数人却很缺乏；他了解自我，明确自己的立场，通晓处世之道。他不以怨报怨，那样，他将不再是自己行为的主宰。

遵奉《圣经》以德报怨的训诫时，我们视其为一种道德规范——它的确如此。但同时，它也是精神健康的一剂良药。

一味被动回应的人最不容易快乐。他情感的重心随外界转移，而非植根于自己的内心世界；他的情绪随周围的社会风尚变迁，成了受这些因素摆布的可怜虫。

称赞并不能给他带来真正的快乐，因为，它不会持久，也并非来自自我认可；批评会使他过度悲伤，因为他内心深处的不自信再一次得到确认；冷落会使他伤痛，就是某处的一点点怠慢，也会让他痛苦不堪。

要做到平心静气，我们就要主宰自己的行为和态度。如果我们的举止是粗鲁或优雅，是欢欣或沮丧，要由他人来决定的话，就是放弃对自我的主宰，而这是我们真正拥有的东西。

我们唯一真正拥有的就是自我控制。