40. Never indulge a lazy disposition, there are few things but are
attended with some difficulties, and if you are frightened at those
difficulties, you will not complete any thing. Indolent minds prefer
ignorance to trouble; they look upon most things as impossible, because
perhaps they are difficult. Even an hour's attention is too laborious
for them, and they would rather content themselves with the first view
of things than take the trouble to look any farther into them. Thus,
when they come to talk upon subjects to those who have studied them,
they betray an unpardonable ignorance, and lay themselves open to
answers that confuse them. Be careful then, that you do not get the
appellation of indolent, and, if possible, avoid the character of
frivolous.

41. For the frivolous mind is busied always upon nothing. It mistakes
trifling objects for important ones, and spends that time upon little
matters, that should only be bestowed upon great ones. Knick-knacks,
butterflies, shells, and such like, engross the attention of the
frivolous man, and fill up all his time. He studies the dress and not
the characters of men, and his subjects of conversation are no other
than the weather, his own domestic affairs, his servants, his method of
managing his family, the little anecdotes of the neighborhood, and the
fiddle-faddle stories of the day; void of information, void of
improvement. These he relates with emphasis, as interesting matters; in
short, he is a male gossip. I appeal to your own feelings now, whether
such things do not lessen a man in the opinion, of his acquaintance, and
instead of attracting esteem, create disgust.