The Consolations of Philosophy by Alain de botton

1. His wife, Xanthippe, was of notoriously foul temper (when asked why he had married her, he replied that horse-trainers needed to practise on the most spirited animals).

What a witty man, Socrates!
Who could be my trainer to settle me down who believe in "Life for Rent".

2. It would be as naive to hold that unpopularity is syonymous with truth as to believe that it is synonymous with error. Tha validity of an idea or action is determined not by whether it is widely believed or widely reviled but by whether it obeys the rules of logic.
... We will best be rewarded if we strive instead to listen always to the dictates of reason.

Firt of all, I would need self-consciousness and courage.

3. 'Idle opinions' of our needs do not reflect the natural hierarchy of our needs, emphasizing luxury and riches, seldom friendship, freedom and thought. The prevalaence of idle opinion is in the interests of commercial enterpirses to skew the hierarchy of our needs, to promote a material vision of the good and downplay an ensaleable one.
And the way we are enticed is through the sly association of superfluous objects with other, forgotten needs.

원하는 것이 무엇인지 정확히 볼 수 있는 지혜가 필요하다.

4. The traditional form of comfort is reassurance. One explains to the anxious that their fears are exaggerated and that events are sure to unfold in a desired direction.
But reassurance can be the curelles antidote to anxiety. Our rosy predictions both leave the anxious unprepared for the worst, and unwittingly imply that would be disastrous if the worst came to pass. Seneca more wisley asks us to consider that bad things probably will occur, but adds that they are unlikely ever to be as bad as we fear.

24년 동안 나에게 일어난 일 중에 나만의 통제권아래 있었던 일들이 얼마나 있었던가?
내가 한 것을 오로지 선택이며, 그 선택의 결과는 나 스스로가 정하지 않았다. 단 내가 이 결과와 그 과정 속에 결정권을 가질 수 있는 바로 마음의 태도*자세 일 뿐이다.