In old days men studied for the sake of self-improvement; nowadays men study in order to impress other people.

Only after Winter comes do we know that the pine and the cypress are the last to fade.

When you see a good man, try to emulate his example, and when you see a bad man, search yourself for his faults.

Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without.

The more you know yourself, the more you forgive yourself.

Shall I tell you what knowledge is? It is to know both what one knows and what one does not know.

The wise men of antiquity, when they wished to make the whole world peaceful and happy, first put their own States into proper order. Before putting their States into proper order, they regulated their own families. Before regulating their families, they regulated themselves. Before regulating themselves, they tried to be sincere in their thoughts. Before being sincere in their thoughts, they tried to see things exactly as they really were.