The Superior man makes the Difficulty to be Overcome his First Interest, Success only comes Later.
The Superior man is Distressed by the Limitations of his Ability. He is not Distressed by the fact that men do not Recognize the Ability that he has.
The Object of the Superior man is Truth.
The Superior man Does not even for the Space of a Single meal, Act contrary to Virtue. In Moments of Haste, he cleaves to it. In Seasons of Danger, he cleaves to it.
The Superior man understands What is Right, the Inferior man understands what will Sell.
What the Superior man seeks is in Himself, What the Small man seeks is in Others.
A Superior man in Dealing with the world is Not for anything or against anything. He follows Righteousness as the Standard.
The Superior man has a Dignified ease without Pride. The Mean man has Pride without a Dignified ease.
The Superior man Acts before he Speaks and afterwards Speaks according to his Action.
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.
The Faults of a Superior person are like the Sun and Moon. They have their Faults and Everyone sees them, They Change and Everyone looks up to them.
The Man who asks a Question is a Fool for a Minute, the Man who does not ask is a Fool for Life.
Virtuous people often Revenge themselves for the Constraints to which they Submit by the Boredom which they Inspire.
A Gentleman would be Ashamed should his Deeds not match his Words.
When a Person should be Spoken with and you don’t Speak with them, you Lose them. When a Person shouldn’t be Spoken with and you Speak to them, you Waste your Breath. The Wise do not Lose people, nor do they Waste their Breath.
The Nobler sort of man Emphasizes the good Qualities in others and does not Accentuate the bad. The Inferior does.
Virtue is more to Man than either Water or Fire. I have seen men Die from Treading on water and fire but I have Never seen a man Die from treading the Course of Virtue.
When a Man’s Knowledge is Sufficient to Attain and his Virtue is not Sufficient to Enable him to Hold, Whatever he may have Gained, he will Lose again.
Not to Discuss with a man worthy of Conversation is to Waste the man. To Discuss with a man not Worthy of conversation is to Waste Words. The Wise waste neither Men nor Words.
The Man of Wisdom is Never of two Minds – the Man of Benevolence never Worries, the Man of Courage is never Afraid.
Words of Wisdom: Quotes about Different Aspects of Life by Socrates
