116.只和可敬之人交往
只和可敬之人交往。你能信任他们,他们也会信任你。他们的名声是其行为的最好保证,哪怕是有误会,也不会例外,因为他们总是言如其心、行如其人。所以,宁可与高尚之人争高下,也别与卑鄙之人争输赢。和堕落之人打交道很难,因为他们没有东西可做正直的抵押——和他们不可能建立真正的友情,和他们签订的协议也没有约束力(无论这种协议看上去多么严格),因为他们没有荣誉感。不要和没有荣誉感的人产生任何关系——荣誉无法约束他们,因此也不能要求他们有德行,因为荣誉是人格的宝座。
116.Onlyactwithhonourablemen
Onlyactwithhonourablemen。Youcantrustthemandtheyyou。Theirhonouristhebestsuretyoftheirbehavioureveninmisunderstandings,fortheyalwaysactaccordingtowhattheyare。Henceitisbettertohaveadisputewithhonourablepeoplethantohaveavictoryoverdishonourableones。Youcannottreatwiththeruined,fortheyhavenohostagesforrectitude。Withthemthereisnotruefriendship,andtheiragreementsarenotbinding,howeverstringenttheymayappear,becausetheyhavenofeelingofhonour。Neverhaveanythingtodowithsuchmen,forifhonourdoesnotrestrainthem,virtuewillnot,sincehonouristhethroneofrectitude。