But why should you keep your head over your shoulder? Why drag about this corpse of your memory, lest you contradict somewhat you have stated in this or that public place? Suppose you should contradict yourself; what then? It seems to be a rule of wisdom never to rely on your memory alone, scarcely even in acts of pure memory, but to bring the past for judgment into the thousand-eyed present, and live ever in a new day.
译文:
自信
为什么你总是回首前尘呢？为什么非要背着记忆这个包袱？难道是由于生怕自己的言行于过去曾公开表示过的态度自相矛盾吗？就算你是自相矛盾，那又何妨？看来明知之举应是绝不要单靠缅怀过去，哪怕只是回想回忆，二十将过往带到今天，在众目睽睽之下接受评判，并永远生活在新的一天中。