行善不求大，但要常去做。你的付出，不能超出对方能回报你的能力。恩惠太多，就不是赠予，而是出售。不要耗尽他人的感激——受惠者见到无法回报你，就不会再接近你。对于许多人来说，对他们施惠太多，使他们无法承受，就会彻底失去他们：他们无法回报，就只能离去，宁愿做你的敌人，也不愿做你永远的欠债人。正如雕像不愿意再见到雕刻师一样，受惠之人也不想再见到施惠之人。施惠之术，十分玄妙，你赠予的东西不贵，但为对方所急需，才能更被珍视。
do good a little at a time, but often. one should never give beyond the possibility of return. he who gives much does not give but sells. nor drain gratitude to the dregs, for when the recipient sees all return is impossible he breaks off correspondence. with many persons it is not necessary to do more than overburden them with favours to lose them altogether: they cannot repay you, and so they retire, preferring rather to be enemies than perpetual debtors. the idol never wishes to see before him the sculptor who shaped him, nor does the benefited wish to see his benefactor always before his eyes. there is a great subtlety in giving what costs little yet is much desired, so that it is esteemed the more.
