The wise find pleasure in water; the virtuous find pleasure in hills. The wise are active; the virtuous are tranquil. The wise are joyful; the virtuous are long-lived.

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

Rotten wood cannot be carved.

In a country well governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a country badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamed of.

Humankind differs from the animals only by a little and most people throw that away.

Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

When the multitude detests a man, inquiry is necessary; when the multitude likes a man, inquiry is equally necessary.