Never give a sword to a man who can't dance.

As in the case of making a mound, if, before the very last basketful, I stop, then I shall have stopped. As in the case of leveling the ground, if, though tipping only one basketful, I am going forward, then I shall be making progress.

Do not treat others as you yourself would not be treated.

When I am with others, they are my teachers. I can select their good points and follow them, and select their bad points and avoid them.

Silence is the true friend that never betrays.

Study the past if you would define the future. I am not one who was born in the possession of knowledge; I am one who is fond of antiquity, and earnest in seeking it there. Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous.

It cannot be when the root is neglected that what springs from it will be well ordered.