Recompense injury with justice, and recompense kindness with kindness.

The determined scholar and the man of virtue will not seek to live at the expense of injuring their virtue. They will even sacrifice their lives to preserve their virtue complete.

The superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions.

He who speaks without modesty will find it difficult to make his words good.

The man who in view of gain thinks of righteousness; who in the view of danger is prepared to give up his life; and who does not forget an old agreement however far back it extends – such a man may be reckoned a complete man.

The people may be made to follow a path of action, but they may not be made to understand it.

While you are not able to serve men, how can you serve spirits [of the dead]?…While you do not know life, how can you know about death?

To go beyond is as wrong as to fall short.