Riches and honor are what everyone desires, but if they can be gained only by doing evil, they must not be held. Don't worry about not being in office, worry about qualifying yourself for office. Don't worry that no one knows you, but seek to be worthy of being known.

Cultivate the root; the leaves and branches will take care of themselves.

There are those men who say to repay evil with kindness. But I say, how then are we to repay kindness? Repay kindness with kindness, but repay evil with justice.

The virtuous man is driven by responsibility, the non-virtuous man is driven by profit.

The virtuous will be sure to speak uprightly; but those whose speech is upright may not be virtuous.

The superior person tries to promote music as a means to the perfection of human culture. When such music prevails, and people's minds are led towards the right ideals and aspirations, we may see the appearance of a great nation.

Settle one difficulty, and you keep a hundred away.