Gentlemen cherish worth; the vulgar cherish dirt. Gentlemen trust in justice; the vulgar trust in favor.
What Heaven has conferred is called The Nature; an accordance with this nature is called The Path of duty; the regulation of this path is called Instruction. The path may not be left for an instant. If it could be left, it would not be the path.
There is one word which may serve as a rule of practice for all one's life -reciprocity.
If your desire is for good, the people will be good.
Even if people do not know what real kindness is, they nonetheless have it within them.
From the Son of Heaven down to the mass of the people, all must consider the cultivation of the person the root of everything besides.