The superior man cannot be known in little matters, but he may be entrusted with great concerns. The small man may not be entrusted with great concerns, but he may be known in little matters.

Isn't it a pleasure to study and practice what you have learned?

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.

A good man does not make a warrior, just as good steel does not go for nails.

If language is not correct, then what is said is not what is meant; if what is said is not what is meant, then what must be done remains undone; if this remains undone, morals and art will deteriorate; if justice goes astray, the people will stand about in helpless confusion. Hence there must be no arbitrariness in what is said. This matters above everything.

When one cultivates to the utmost the principles of his nature, and exercises them on the principle of reciprocity, he is not far from the path.

When young, beware of fighting; when strong, beware of sex; and when old, beware of possession.