243．不要太过善良

不要太过善良。应将毒蛇的狡猾和鸽子的坦率结合起来。欺骗诚实之人最容易。从不说谎者很相信他人，从不行骗者很信任他人。被欺骗不总是因为愚蠢，也可能纯粹因为善良。有两种人可以保护自己不受伤害：自己付出代价而吸取教训之人；看到别人付出代价而受到警示之人。狡猾的人常常设置陷阱，谨慎的人应该保持警惕。任何人都不要过于善良，使别人的邪恶有机可乘。你要结合毒蛇和鸽子的特点，这是天才，而非妖怪。

243．Do not be too much of a dove

Do not be too much of a dove. Alternate the cunning of the serpent with the candour of the dove. Nothing is easier than to deceive an honest man. He believes in much who lies in naught; he who does no deceit, has much confidence. To be deceived is not always due to stupidity, it may arise from sheer goodness. There are two sets of men who can guard themselves from injury: those who have experienced it at their own cost, and those who have observed it at the cost of others. Prudence should use as much suspicion as subtlety uses snares, and none need be so good as to enable others to do him ill. Combine in yourself the dove and the serpent, not as a monster but as a prodigy.