"To see things in the seed, that is genius."

"If you would take, you must first give, this is the beginning of intelligence."

"The more prohibitions there are, the poorer the people become. The more sharp weapons the people have, the more troubled the state becomes. The more cunning and skill man possesses, the more peculiar …"

"Therefore it is because the sage never attempts to be great that he succeeds in becoming great."

"Keep your mouth shut, guard your senses, and you will be free from trouble. Open your mouth, always be busy, and you will be beyond hope."