MondayMay 11, 2026
Quotes: 53419 Authors: 9969
A person should contemplate the workings of the universe with reverence and introspection. In this way expression is given to the effects of these laws upon his own person. This is the source of a hidden power.
If one is not extremely careful, Somebody may come up from behind and strike him. Misfortune.
In adversity It furthers one to be persevering.
At the outset, a righteous cause, as well as a proper method for conducting the war, is essential for military success.
Arrogance means that one knows how to press forward But not how to draw back, that one knows existence but not annihilation, knows something about winning but nothing about losing
Adversity breaks the inferior man's will but only bends the superior man's spirit. Outward influence is denied the great man, who accordingly uses words sparingly but retains his central position.
Action must be taken at the first signs of disruption or decay, otherwise disaster will follow as ice-bound water follows brief autumn frosts.
Creativity comes from awakening and directing men's higher natures, which originate in the primal depths of the universe and are appointed by Heaven.
A proper balance must be struck between indulgence and severity. However, severity, despite occasional mistakes, is preferable to a lack of discipline.
Defeat ensues when others interfere with the authority of the chosen leader. Divided command is often fatal.
A person must learn to be adaptable and serve others in order to rule. Willing followers are not acquired by force or cunning but through consistency in doing what is human and proper.
A person in danger should not try to escape at one stroke. He should first calmly hold his own, then be satisfied with small gains, which will come by creative adaptations.
A close bond is possible only between two persons. A group of three engenders jealousy.
A clear-cut case meets with difficulty because of a tendency to be lenient. The man must be as true as gold and as impartial as the mean.
Heaven and water go their opposite ways: The image of CONFLICT. Thus in all his transactions the superior man Carefully considers the beginning.
The Wanderer finds success through smallness. Perseverance brings good fortune to The Wanderer.
When clouds form in the skies we know that rain will follow but we must not wait for it. Nothing will be achieved by Attempting to interfere with the future before the time is ripe. Patience is needed.
He will succeed if he remains firm in principle and goes Beyond selfish considerations to mingle freely with those who do not share his feelings, as well as those who do.
He who possesses the source of Enthusiasm Will achieve great things. Doubt not. You will gather friends around you As a hair clasp gathers the hair.
When things are going well it is all too easy to become overconfident and not give proper attention to one's duties. If this tendency is recognized early it may be corrected and no harm will be done.
When thunder comes it relieves the tension and promotes positive action. Music can do the same by making people enthusiastic and united together. When used to promote good it brings them closer to heaven.
Great undertakings cannot succeed during periods of division and mutual alienation. The superior man recognizes the circumstances, does not become impatient, and sets about Achieving gradual improvements in small matters.
Great progress and success can be realized. But spring does not last forever, and the favorable trend will reverse itself in due time. The wise man foresees evil and handles its threat accordingly.
Calmness and irony are the only weapons worthy of the strong.
Great effort is required to arrest decay and restore vigor. One must exercise proper deliberation, plan carefully before making a move, and be alert in guarding against relapse following a renaissance.
Bit by bit the man achieves success. This should be valued but not pushed too far. When the moon is full, waning is inevitable. Quiescence is in order.
Water, everywhere over the earth, flows to join together. A single natural law controls it. Each human is a member of a community and should work within it.
Use no medicine in an illness Incurred through no fault of your own. It will pass of itself.
Unity requires a collective moral force, together with a great leader. Ancestors unite the clan, and heaven unites nature. With unity the time is right for great deeds.
There is always danger in circumstances of abundance. The inferior man pushes forward through excessive ambition, thereby losing touch with men of talent and virtue in positions below him.
The way of heaven is to diminish the prosperous and Augment the needy. The superior man gains without boasting.
Governing a large organization requires timely activity and discreet inactivity on the part of the chief executive. One must be particularly sensitive to promising circumstances, talented men, and the right objectives.
Great indeed is the sublimity of the Creative, to which All beings owe their beginning and which permeates all heaven.
Men are deceived by what the eyes see, But the gods are swayed by what the heart conceals.
The creative works sublime success, Furthering through perseverance.
The Creative knows the great beginnings. The receptive completes the finished things.
The choice must be made between the path of public acclaim and the path of obscurity and introspection. Each person must make their own choice.
That which is bright rises twice: The image of fire. Thus the great man, by perpetuating this brightness, Illumines the four quarters of the world.
Punishment should not be meted out in anger. It must fulfill the purpose of preventing unreasonable excesses by others.
The great man with vigor should demand the rightness of things, timeliness of action, and propriety of method. In this way, power does not degenerate into sheer force.
Modesty is at the core of the man's being and reveals itself in his outward behavior.
Perseverance alone does not assure success. No amount of stalking will lead to game in a field that has none.
Man should observe the strictest self-restraint and reserve in dangerous times. In this way he incurs neither injury from antagonists with designs on pre-eminence nor obligations to others.
If you are sincere, you have success in your heart, and whatever you do succeeds.
Man becomes the master of difficult situations by refusing the assistance of weak men. He relies on his own strength of character.
It is an inexorable Law of Nature that bad must follow good, that decline must follow a rise. To feel that we can rest on our achievements is a dangerous fallacy. Inner strength can overcome anything that occurs outside.
Indecision regarding the choice among pleasures temporarily robs a man of inner peace. After due reflection, he attains joy by turning away from the lower pleasures and seeking the higher ones.
Instead of solid accomplishments, the man pursues pleasures and self-gratification. He will never achieve anything so long as he is surrounded by dissipating temptations.
Of all that is good, sublimity is supreme. Succeeding is the coming together of all that is beautiful. Furtherance is the agreement of all that is just. Perseverance is the foundation of all actions.
One should act in consonance with the way of heaven and earth, which is enduring and eternal. The superior man perseveres long in his course, adapts to the times, but remains firm in his direction and correct in his goals
The kind man discovers it and calls it kind. The wise man discovers it and calls it wise. The people use it day by day and are not aware of it, for the way of the superior man is rare.
The superior man, when he stands alone, is unconcerned, and if he has to renounce the world, he is undaunted.
The superior man acquaints himself with many sayings of antiquity and many deeds of the past, in order to strengthen his character thereby.
The sage, who is living outside the routine of the world, contemplates his own character, not as an isolated ego manifestation, but in relation to the laws of life. He judges freedom from blame to be the highest good.
The quiet and solitary man apprehends the inscrutable. He seeks nothing, holds to the mean, and remains free from entanglements.
The unassuming youth seeking instruction with humility gains good fortune.
The universe is moved by a power which cycles endlessly from day to day. Such greatness endures for all time. As in heaven, so on earth.
The man is quiet, but firm as a rock, yet sensitive to the first imperceptible signs of impending changes. He does not delay in taking action.
The man is indecisively unable to deal with adversity and is oppressed by something which should not oppress him. He leans on things like thorns and thistles, which are hazardous yet cannot support him.
The man does not expose himself needlessly to rebuff By pushing forward when the time is not propitious. He retreats with kindred souls.
The Laws of Nature are such that things at their peak must decline and those at their lowest point must rise up, just as the sun and moon follow one another ceaselessly through the skies. Man also follows these laws.
Dreams are the wanderings of the spirit though all nine heavens and all nine earths.
Before the beginning of great brilliance, there must be chaos. Before a brilliant person begins something great, they must look foolish in the crowd.
Change is certain. Peace is followed by disturbances; departure of evil men by their return. Such recurrences should not constitute occasions for sadness but realities for awareness, so that one may be happy in the interim.
The way of the creative works through change and transformation, so that each thing receives its true nature and destiny and comes into permanent accord with the great harmony: this is what furthers and what perseveres.
When the way comes to an end, then change. Having changed, you pass through.
On average, an infant laughs nearly two hundred times a day; an adult, only twelve. Maybe they are laughing so much because they are looking at us. To be able to preserve joyousness of heart and yet to be concerned in thought: in this way we can determine good fortune and misfortune on earth, and bring to perfection everything on earth.
Terms of use and copyrights
