Human nature refers to what is in people but which they cannot study or work at achieving.

If you wish to see the thousand years, look at today; if you wish to understand the millionfold, then look at the one or the two.

Since the nature of people is bad, to become corrected they must be taught by teachers and to be orderly they must acquire ritual and moral principles.

Whether the gentleman is capable or not, he is loved all the same; conversely the petty man is loathed all the same.

If there is no dull and determined effort, there will be no brilliant achievement.

If the impulse to daring and bravery is too fierce and violent, stay it with guidance and instruction.

Misery is evil; quarreling, a misfortune. There is only one possibility of avoiding both: a clear division of society. [Otherwise] the strong tyrannize the weak, the intelligent frighten the stupid, the inferior resist the superior, and the young mock the old.