The Tao is near and people seek it far away.

The gap between enthusiasm and indifference is filled with failures. The great man is he that does not lose his child's heart.

Mankind fears an evil man but heaven does not.

The great man does not think beforehand of his words that they may be sincere, nor of his actions that they may be resolute- he simply speaks and does what is right.

A small country cannot contend with a great; the few cannot contend with the many; the weak cannot contend with the strong

Where it is permissible both to die and not to die, it is an abuse of valour to die.

There is the work of great men and there is the work of little men. Therefore it is said, 'Some labor with their minds and some labor with their strength. Those who labor with their minds govern others; those who labor with their strength are governed by others.'1 Those who are governed by others support them; those who govern them are supported by them. This is a universal principle.