Great Throughts Treasury

"No man is a good doctor who has never been sick himself."

"Not to enlighten one who can be enlightened is to waste a man; to endeavor to enlighten one who cannot be enlightened is to waste words. The intelligent man wastes neither his man nor his words."

"Of what value is smartness of speech? Opposing a man with the mouth excites anger."

"Not know life, how know death?"

"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."

"Study the past if you would divine the future."

"Study without reflection is a waste of time; reflection without study is dangerous."

"The essence of knowledge is, having it, apply it; not having it, to confess your ignorance."

"The desire to have things done quickly prevents their being done thoroughly."

"The expectations of life depend upon diligence; the mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools."

"The general of a large army may be defeated, but you cannot defeat the determined mind of a peasant."

"The injury of prodigality leads to this, that he that will not economize will have to agonize."

"The superior man does not set his mind either for or against anything; he will pursue whatever is right. The superior man thinks of virtue, the common man of comfort."

"The superior man is calm and serene, the inferior man is worried and anxious."

"The way of a superior man is threefold: Virtuous, he is free from anxieties; Wise, he is free from complexities; Bold, he is free from fe0ar."

"The people may be made to follow a line of action, but they cannot be made to understand it."

"The wise man is never reckless in his choice of words."

"The wise men of antiquity, when they wished to make the whole world peaceful and happy, first put their own States into proper order. Before putting their States into proper order, they regulated their own families. Before regulating their families, they regulated themselves. Before regulating themselves, they tried to be sincere in their thoughts. Before being sincere in their thoughts, they tried to see things exactly as they really are."

"There is one word which may serve as a rule of practice for all one's life - reciprocity."

"There are three degrees of filial piety. The highest is being a credit to our parents, the second is not disgracing them; the lowest is being able simply to support them."

"Those whose ways are different do not make plans together."

"To exceed is as bad as to fall short."

"There were four words of which the Master barred the use: he would have no "shall's," no "must's," no "certainly's," no "I's.""

"Those who break down the dikes will themselves be drowned in the inundation."

"To love a thing means wanting it to live."

"To worship at a temple not your own is mere flattery."

"Tsze-Kung asked what constituted a superior man. The master said, "He acts before he speaks, and afterwards speaks according to his actions.”"

"Until we know what life is, how can we know what death is?"

"We should worship as though the Deity were present. If my mind is not engaged in my worship, it is as though I worshipped not."

"What I do not wish others to do unto me, that also I wish not to do unto them."

"When anger rises, think of the consequences."

"When you enter a country, inquire as to what is forbidden; when you cross a boundary, ask about the customs."

"When prosperity comes, do not use all of it."

"When things are done hastily, they are not done thoroughly."

"When nature exceeds culture, we have the rustic. When culture exceeds nature, we have the pedant."

"Words are the voice of the heart."

"Without the confidence of the people no government can stand."

"When you see a good man, think of emulating him; when you see a bad man, examine your own heart (innerself)."

"Without knowing the force of words, it is impossible to know human beings."

"You may rob an army of its commander, but you cannot rob even a common man of this will."

"A noble person covets the reputation of being slow in word but prompt in deed."

"A gentleman takes as much trouble to discover what is right as the lesser man take to discover what will pay."

"A noble mind can see a question from all sides without bias. Small minds are biased and see a question only form one side."

"A noble person does not accept people of what they say, nor reject sayings, because the speaker is what he is."

"A noble person is ashamed to let her words outrun her deeds."

"Act with kindness, but do not expect gratitude."

"Absolute truth is indestructible. Being indestructible, it is eternal. Being eternal, it is self-existent. Being self-existent, it is infinite. Being infinite, it is vast and deep. Being vast and deep, it is transcendental and intelligent."

"A noble person takes as much trouble to discover what is right as lesser people take to discover what will pay."

"A noble person is distressed by his own lack of capacity; he is never distressed at the failure of others to recognize his merits."

"As the water shapes itself to the vessel that contains it, so a wise man adapts himself to circumstances."