There are three things against which the wise man guards: lust when young, quarrels when strong, and covetousness when old.

Without goodness a man cannot endure adversity for long, nor can he enjoy prosperity for long. The good man is naturally at ease with goodness. The wise man cultivates goodness for its advantage.

He who flatters a man is his enemy. he who tells him of his faults is his maker.

The gentleman holds justice to be of highest importance. If a gentleman has courage but neglects justice, he becomes insurgent. If an inferior man has courage but neglects justice, he becomes a thief.

The Master said, “The gentleman understands what is right, whereas the petty man understands profit.” (Analects 4.16)

The Master said, “What a worthy man was Yan Hui! Living in a narrow alley, subsisting upon meager bits of rice and water—other people could not have borne such hardship, and yet it never spoiled Hui’s joy. What a worthy man was Hui!” (Analects 6.11)

A man without persistence will never make a good shaman or a good physician.

Let every man consider virtue as what devolves on himself. He may not yield the performance of it even to his teacher.

A great man is hard on himself; a small man is hard on others.