At 15 I set my heart on learning; At 30 I firmly took my stand; At 40 I had no delusions; At 50 I knew the Mandate of Heaven; At 60 my ear was attuned; At 70 I followed my heart's desire without overstepping the boundaries of right.

The Master said, “The gentleman understands what is right, whereas the petty man understands profit.” (Analects 4.16)

A workman who wants to do his work well must first prepare his tools.

The Superior Man is all-embracing and not partial. The inferior man is partial and not all-embracing.

Knowledge is merely brilliance in organization of ideas and not wisdom. The truly wise person goes beyond knowledge.

You do not understand even life. How can you understand death?

The object of the superior man is truth.