“Virtue alone is not sufficient for the exercise of government; laws alone cannot carry themselves into practice.”

The Way lies at hand yet it is sought afar off; the thing lies in the easy yet it is sought in the difficult.

Only when someone refuses to do certain things will he be capable of doing great things.

He who loves others is always loved by them, and he who respects others is always respected by them.

The regular path of virtue is to be pursued without any bend, and from no view to emolument.

If you let people follow their feelings, they will be able to do good. This is what is meant by saying that human nature is good.

The path of duty lies in what is near, and men seek for it in what is remote; the work of duty lies in what is easy, and men seek for it in what is difficult.

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

He who loves others is constantly loved by them. He who respects others is constantly respected by them.

One who believes all of a book would be better off without books.

The people turn in allegiance to Humanity, as surely as water flows downward or as a wild animal takes cover in the wilderness.

All things are complete within ourselves.

Treat your elders as elders, and extend it to the elders of others; treat your young ones as young ones, and extend it to the young ones of others; then you can turn the whole world in the palm of your hand.

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

Sincerity is the way to heaven; to think how to be sincere is the way of man.

The great person never loses a childlike spirit.

He who attends to his greater self becomes a great man, and he who attends to his smaller self becomes a small man.