昨天偶然讀到這個，覺得不錯，就花了點時間翻譯了一下，與大家分享。其中有好多困惑不清之處，還請各位指正：
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人生 ---by Carroll Quigley, August 1967
1． 有些東西是重要的，更多的卻隻是需要的。
2． 需要的東西隻有在缺乏的狀態才顯得重要。比如氧氣，食物，飲料，住所和肉體上的需要。
3． 重要的東西是永遠重要的，無論你是否擁有甚至是否意識到它的存在。
4． 將需要的東西誤認為是重要的東西的人是不會幸福的，即使他已經擁有想要的東西，或者甚至已經不再意識到這些東西的存在時，也不會快樂。
5． 重要的東西是指無須借助外力來實現而能自我滿足的。而需要的東西，因為不是因為自身的原因而具備重要性，所以永遠不能自我滿足，隻是因為顯得重要而得以流行。因此，物質上的富裕，權力，名聲和威望永遠無法自我滿足。
6． 世間唯一真正重要的是真理，也就是現實世界的總體結構。事物的意義存在於與這個總體結構之間的關係之中。物質的東西之所以不重要，是因為它隻是從屬於這個總體結構的關係。
7． 從這個觀點來看，重要的東西可能存在於現實世界中的各個層次。例如：肉體的健康，鍛煉和身體的協調性對於肉體層麵而言是重要的，但是比起更高的層次來說，這些東西的重要性就降低了。
8． 更高的層次指的是情感和認知的覺醒。
9． 重要的東西是與人的認知水平相關的，因為認知水平能幫助人類更加接近真理。
10． 每個人都是不完美的，所以，人隻能從某幾個方麵去提高自身的認知水平，這些方麵包括願望和決心。
11． 因為人都有不足之處，除非能真正認清自己與現實的關係，人很難把握需求的度量以及很難把自己的精力用在有價值的事情上。如果一個人隻是謀求需要的東西，他是無法有成就感的。因為這樣一來，他把自己誤認為是世界的中心，其實卻不是。因此，自私無法成就自我。
12．因此，人生最重要的目標應該是幫助他人提高認知水平。這就是康德所說的：決不能將他人當成使用的工具，而應該把每個人當成獨一無二的圓滿的個體。從人類的基本體驗而言：一個人如果謀求自身所需的東西，將無法直接獲得。人隻能通過為他人謀求這些東西而間接擁有。所以，一個謀求財富的人永遠不會覺得富有；一個謀求權力的人永遠不會感到安全；一個尋歡作樂的人不會覺得快樂。然而，一個為他們尋求重要的東西的人，會感到自己是富有，安全和快樂的。
13．他人的需要存在於各種層麵，比如肉體的，情感的和知識的需求。的確，每一種關係中都存在著這三種需求。幫助他人去體驗這些需求並且從中成長的願望就是愛。這種愛是宇宙的真正動力，也是宇宙的自然性。這是上帝之愛的表現。上帝是最根本的“道”，而人類的最終目標是無限接近“道”。但是人是無法獨自達“道”的，隻能逐步認知之，而且需要通過與他人同道，也就是經由“愛”而達“道”。因此愛他人，最終達“道”，是人類一步步接近真理的途徑。
原文：
LIFE Written by Professor Quigley in the hopes of assisting a troubled colleague.
1. Some things are important, but most things are only necessary.
2. Necessary things are only important when you do not have them and are generally ignored when they are amply supplied. These include oxygen, food, drink. shelter, and all physical needs.
3. Important things are important all the time whether you have them or not, whether you realize it or not.
4. People who regard necessary things as important are unhappy and frustrated even when they get them and even if they are quite unaware that the important things exist.
5. Important things are those which can be made ends in themselves, worth seeking and worth having. Necessary things, since they are not important for their own sakes, should never made ends in themselves, but must be permitted only to be means to important ends. Thus, material wealth, power, popularity, and prestige should never be ends but only means to ends, because however necessary they may be they are never important.
6. THE ONLY THING WHICH IS IMPORTANT IS TRUTH -- that is the total structure of reality. The meaning of anything arises from its relationship to that total structure. The reason that material things are not important is because of the subordinate position they hold in that total structure.
7. From this point of view, important things may exist on any level of reality. For example, physical health, exercise. and are important on the physical level, but are not as important as things on higher levels, even though they can be made ends in themselves.
8. On the higher levels are such things as feelings. and intellectual awareness.
9. The important things are those concerned with the realization of the potentialities of an individual because such realization brings the individual in closer contact with the total structure of reality -- that is, with TRUTH.
10. Each individual is so inadequate that there are only a few things he can do to help realize his potentialities. Among these few are will - the desire to do this and the determination to do it.
11. Because of the inadequacy of the individual -- that is, his basic need for other persons and his inability to direct his efforts unless he has recognition of his relationships with the rest of reality, the individual can achieve nothing by seeking to obtain things for himself, because this makes him the center of the universe, which he is not. Thus, selfishness achieves nothing.
12. Thus the chief immediate aim in life of each individual must be to help others realize their potentialities. This is what Kant meant when he said that others must never be treated as means to be used, but always as ends in themselves. It is basic in human experience that those things a person seeks for himself directly are never obtained. They are only obtained indirectly as a by-product of an effort to obtain them for others. Thus the man who seeks only wealth for himself never feels rich, as the man who seeks power never feels secure, and the man who seeks pleasure never feels satisfied. But the man who seeks important things for others often feels rich, secure, and satisfied.
13. The need for others is present on all levels, the physical. emotional, and intellectual. Indeed, every relationship has in it all three aspects. The desire to help others experience these things and to grow as a result of such experiences is called love. Such love is the real motivating force of the universe and is, in its ultimate nature. a manifestation of the love of God. Because while God is pure Reason and man' s ultimate goal is Reason, it can not be reached directly and must always be approached step by step, not alone but in companionship with others, and thus through love. Thus love of others, ultimately love of God, are the steps by which man develops reason and slowly approaches pure Reason.
Carroll Quigley, August 1967
