Mencius

Every duty is a charge, but the charge of oneself is the root of all others.

Evil exists to glorify the good. Evil is negative good. It is a relative term. Evil can be transmuted into good. What is evil to one at one time, becomes good at another time to somebody else.

Friendship is one mind in two bodies.

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

If the king loves music, there is little wrong in the land.

It is not difficult to govern. All one has to do is not to offend the noble families.

Kindly words do not enter so deeply into men as a reputation for kindness.

Let not a man do what his sense of right bids him not to do, nor desire what it forbids him to desire. This is sufficient. The skillful artist will not alter his measures for the sake of a stupid workman.

Mankind fears an evil man but heaven does not.

The great man is he who does not lose his child-heart. He does not think beforehand that his words shall be sincere, nor that his acts shall be resolute; he simply abides in the right.

There is no greater delight than to be conscious of sincerity on self-examination.

Truth uttered before its time is always dangerous.

We live, not as we wish to, but as we can.