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.

Only those who develop their minds and spirits to the utmost can serve Heaven and fulfill their own destinies.

A real man is he whose goodness is a part of himself.

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 is one mind in two bodies.

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

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.