9．避免土生土長的缺陷

    避免土生土長的缺陷。水流之品質受河床土質之好壞的影響，人之品性受出生之氣候優劣的影響。有些人會比别人更受故鄉的恩澤，因為那裡更為天清氣爽。任何國家（即便是最文明的國家）都有其獨特的缺陷——正是這些缺陷，讓别的國家聊以自慰或是小心防範。糾正自己的缺陷，或甚至隐藏起這些缺陷，是最明智的勝利。你在同胞中鶴立雞群，就會赢得好的聲譽，出人意料的成功總是更受欽佩。其他的缺陷則源自家庭、職位、職業和所處的時代。如果所有這些缺陷都體現在一個人身上，并且未被小心約束，那定會讓他成為無法忍受的怪物。

    

9．Avoidthefaultsofyournation

    Avoidthefaultsofyournation.Watersharesthegoodorbadqualitiesofthestratathroughwhichitflows,andmenthoseoftheclimateinwhichtheyareborn.Someowemorethanotherstotheirnativeland,becausethereisamorefavourableskyinthezenith.Thereisnotanationevenamongthemostcivilizedthathasnotsomefaultpeculiartoitselfwhichothernationsblamebywayofboastorasawarning.Itisatriumphofclevernesstocorrectinoneselfsuchnationalfailings,oreventohidethem:yougetgreatcreditforbeinguniqueamongyourfellows,andasitislessexpectedofyouitisesteemedthemore.Therearealsofamilyfailingsaswellasfaultsofposition,ofofficeorofage.Iftheseallmeetinonepersonandarenotcarefullyguardedagainst,theymakeanintolerablemonster.