绝大多数奢侈品，以及许多所谓能提高生活品质的东西，不但并非不可或缺，而且还在明显阻碍着人类的提升。若论奢侈与舒适，最睿智的人往往过着比穷人更俭朴贫乏的生活。那些来自中国、印度、波斯和希腊的古代哲学家，身外之财富比任何人都少，内心却比所有人都富足。我们对于这些哲学家知之甚少，以至于对其仅有的了解也足以称得上出色了。同样值得称道的还有那些致力于改善与资助其种族同胞的人。只有从甘于贫困的视角出发，才能公正且睿智地观察人类的生活。被奢侈裹挟的人生只能结出奢侈之果，无论你是种地、经商、创作文学还是从事艺术。现如今有的是哲学教授，而非哲学家。当今教授一门学科受人尊重，而往昔的人们尊敬生活的智慧。哲学家不能只有锐利的思想，也不非得要创办学校，而是要有对智慧的热爱，并依其指示去生活，在生活中保持简单、独立自主、宽宏大量、充满信任。要去解决生活中的一些问题，不拘泥于理论，而是躬亲实践。那些伟大学者与思想家的成功往往是一种朝臣式的成功，既不尊贵，也不具尊严。他们努力生活，靠的仅仅是随波逐流，与其父辈并无二致，绝不可能衍育出更高贵的新人。可是人类为何不断堕落？是什么让家庭分崩离析？那些奢侈品究竟有何特质能让国家萎靡崩溃？我们能否确定自己的生活就不受它们影响？哲学家哪怕是在生活的外在形式上也领先于他的时代。他的饮食、住所、衣着、取暖方式都与旁人不同。作为哲学家，怎能不以比他人更高明的手段来保持其维生之热量呢？
Most of the luxuries, and many of the so called comforts of life, are not only not indispensable, but positive hinderances to the elevation of mankind. With respect to luxuries and comforts, the wisest have ever lived a more simple and meager life than the poor. The ancient philosophers, Chinese, Hindoo, Persian, and Greek, were a class than which none has been poorer in outward riches, none so rich in inward. We know not much about them. It is remarkable that we know so much of them as we do. The same is true of the more modern reformers and benefactors of their race. None can be an impartial or wise observer of human life but from the vantage ground of what we should call voluntary poverty. Of a life of luxury the fruit is luxury, whether in agriculture, or commerce, or literature, or art. There are nowadays professors of philosophy, but not philosophers. Yet it is admirable to profess because it was once admirable to live. To be a philosopher is not merely to have subtle thoughts, nor even to found a school, but so to love wisdom as to live according to its dictates, a life of simplicity, independence, magnanimity, and trust. It is to solve some of the problems of life, not only theoretically, but practically. The success of great scholars and thinkers is commonly a courtier-like success, not kingly, not manly. They make shift to live merely by conformity, practically as their fathers did, and are in no sense the progenitors of a nobler race of men. But why do men degenerate ever? What makes families run out? What is the nature of the luxury which enervates and destroys nations? Are we sure that there is none of it in our own lives? The philosopher is in advance of his age even in the outward form of his life. He is not fed, sheltered, clothed, warmed, like his contemporaries. How can a man be a philosopher and not maintain his vital heat by better methods than other men?
