“The scholar does not consider gold and jade to be precious treasures, but loyalty and good faith.”

“The scholar who cherishes the love of comfort is not fit to be deemed a scholar.”

“The nobler sort of man emphasizes the good qualities in others, and does not accentuate the bad. The inferior does.”

“Faithfulness and sincerity are the highest things.”

“Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles.”

“For this reason the gentleman will employ a man on a distant mission and observe his degree of loyalty, will employ him close at hand and observe his degree of respect. He will hand him troublesome affairs and observe how well he manages them, will suddenly ask his advice and observe how wisely he answers. He will exact some difficult promise from him and see how well he keeps it, turn over funds to him and see with what benevolence he dispenses them, inform him of the danger he is in and note how faithful he is to his duties. He will get him drunk with wine and observe how well he handles himself, place him in mixed company and see what effect beauty has upon him. By applying these nine tests, you may determine who is the unworthy man.”

“The superior man, when resting in safety, does not forget that danger may come. When in a state of security he does not forget the possibility of ruin. When all is orderly, he does not forget that disorder may come. Thus his person is not endangered, and his States and all their clans are preserved.”