Be gracious to all men, but choose the best to be your friends.

Conduct yourself towards your parents as you would have your children conduct themselves towards you.

Let there be but two occasions for speech - when the subject is one which you thoroughly know and when it is one on which you are compelled to speak. On these occasions alone is speech better than silence; on all others, it is better to be silent than to speak.

We should not call a city happy because it attracts masses of citizens from everywhere; a fortunate city is one in which the race of the original inhabitants is best preserved.

Be gracious to all men, but choose the best to be your friends.

Of all our possessions, wisdom alone is immortal.

Whetstones are not themselves able to cut, but make iron sharp and capable of cutting.