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)

He who rules by moral force is like the pole star, which remains in place while all the lesser stars do homage to it.

Wisdom is rooted in watching with affection the way people grow.

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.

When a man feels the difficulty of doing, can he be other than cautious and slow in speaking?

In a country well governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a country badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamed of.

Happiness does not consist in having what you want, but in wanting what you have