I do not want a friend who smiles when I smile, who weeps when I weep; for my shadow in the pool can do better than that.

Let every man consider virtue as what devolves on himself. He may not yield the performance of it even to his teacher.

Those who make virtue their profession are the ruin of virtue.

Learning, undigested by thought, is labor lost.

Writing cannot express all words, words cannot encompass all ideas.

The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their proper name.

When we have intelligence resulting from sincerity, this condition is to be ascribed to nature; when we have sincerity resulting from intelligence, this condition is to be ascribed to instruction. But given the sincerity, and there shall be the intelligence; given the intelligence, and there shall be the sincerity.