it is not surprising that someone confides his secret to someone who has no place for him someone whose knowledge has advanced and whose doubts have been removed from him but it is surprising that someone entrusts his secret to someone whose knowledge has advanced and who has become intimate with him after meeting or meeting him twice without knowing the person and the name the reason and the lineage so he is deceived at first sight and his mind is deceived before his religion and wealth are deceived and the affliction is doubled for him by the length of the regret for the affliction is temporary and acquired so the heavenly incident and what the fates have granted him are secret after the person has exerted his opinion and his trickery in seeking good. and the correctness of his management of it is easier and simpler for the wise person accustomed to correctness even if every misfortune is bitter and ugly. rather the necessary distress and the incurable disease is that which combines for its owner with the calamity and need deficiency and humiliation the grief of regret and sorrow for what he has neglected since the wrongdoer against himself is in his own hand.
وليس العجب ممن أفضى بسره إلى من ليس له بموضع، ممن تقدمت معرفته وزالت الشكوك عنه في أمره؛ ولكن العجب عين العجب ممن استنام بسره إلى من لم تقدم معرفته ومن أنس إليه عن اللقاءة واللقاءتين، دون معرفة العين والاسم، والسبب والنسب، فانخدع في أول وهلة وغبن عقله قبل أن يغبن دينه وماله، وتضاعفت عليه البلية بطول الحسرة؛ فإن البلاء عارض ومكتسب، فكان العارض السماوى وما خولته الأقدار سرا بعد اجتهاد صاحبه رأيه، وحيلته في طلب الخير. وصواب تدبيره فيه أسهل وأيسر على العاقل المعتاد للصواب، وإن كان كل مكروه مرا بشعا. وإنما الكرب اللازم والداء العياء ما اجتمع على صاحبه مع الفجيعة والحاجة، والنقص والذلة، غم الندامة والأسف على ما فرط منه؛ إذ كان الجانى على نفسه بيده.