Never have a companion that casts you in the shade.
Things do not pass for what they are, but for what they seem. Most things are judged by their jackets.
Be first the master of yourself
The sage never seems to know his own merits, for only by not noticing them can you call others' attention to them.
When everyone covets something, they are easily annoyed by it.
Don't express your ideas too clearly. Most people think little of what they understand, and venerate what they do not.