143．别为免俗而玩弄诡辩之术

别为免俗而玩弄诡辩之术。落俗和诡辩这两个极端都有损我们的名誉。任何不合理之事都近乎愚蠢。诡辩即欺骗：它先因新奇刺激而赢得掌声，之后当欺骗被预知，当其虚妄无实显而易见，就会名誉扫地。诡辩是一种花招，用在政治上可以毁灭国家。不能或者不敢以德成就伟业之人转而走向诡辩的歧途，让愚人惊羡，却让智者警觉。诡辩表明判断错乱。它要不是完全建立在虚假之上，就肯定存在于不确定之中，使人生之要事面临危险。

143．Never become paradoxical in order to avoid the trite

Never become paradoxical in order to avoid the trite. Both extremes damage our reputation. Every undertaking which differs from the reasonable approaches foolishness. The paradox is a cheat: it wins applause at first by its novelty and piquancy, but afterwards it becomes discredited when the deceit is foreseen and its emptiness becomes apparent. It is a species of jugglery, and in political matters it would be the ruin of states. Those who cannot or dare not reach great deeds on the direct road of excellence go round by way of Paradox, admired by fools but making wise men true prophets. It argues an unbalanced judgment, and if it is not altogether based on the false, it is certainly founded on the uncertain, and risks the weightier matters of life.