The root of the kingdom is in the state. The root of the state is in the family. The root of the family is in the person of its head.

Friendship with a man is friendship with his virtue, and does not admit of assumptions of superiority.

The five kinds of grains are considered good plants, but if the grains are not ripe, they are worse than cockles. It is the same with regard to kindness, which must grow into maturity.

Try your best to treat others as you would wish to be treated yourself, and you will find that this is the shortest way to benevolence

So I like life and I like righteousness; if I cannot keep the two together, I will let life go and choose righteousness.

When I say that all men have the mind which cannot bear to see the suffering of others, my meaning is illustrated this way: when two men suddenly see a child about to fall into a well, they all have a feeling of alarm and distress, not to gain friendship with the child's parents, nor to seek the praise of their neighbors and friends. From such a case, we see that a man without the feeling of commiseration is not a man. The feeling of commiseration is the beginning of humanity.

Never has there been one possessed of complete sincerity who did not move others. Never has there been one who had not sincerity who was able to move others.