A son ought to study his father's wishes as long as the father lives; and after the father is dead he should study his life, and respect his memory. A man who is fond of learning is not a glutton, nor is he indolent; he is earnest and sincere in what he says and does, seeks the company of the good, and profits by it. At fifteen my whole mind was on study. At thirty I was able to stand alone. At forty my speculative doubts came to an end. At fifty I understood Heaven's laws. At sixty my passions responded to higher instincts. At seventy my better nature ruled me altogether. Mere study without thought is useless, but thought without study is dangerous. Fine words and attractive appearances are seldom associated with true goodness. If a man keeps cultivating his old knowledge and be ever adding to it new, that man is fit to be a teacher of others. The superior man is broad-minded, and no partisan. The mean man is biased and narrow. Tze-chang studied with a view to official promotion. The master said, "This is wrong," adding, "Thou shouldest listen much, keep silent when there is doubt, and guard thy tongue. See much, beware of dangers, and walk warily. Then shalt thou have little cause for repentance." I do not know how a man can get on without truth. It is easier for a waggon to go without a cross-pole, or a carriage to be drawn without harness. Neither courtesy nor music avail a man if he has not virtue and love. Worship the dead as though they stood alive before you. Sacrifice to the spirits as if they were in your immediate presence. If I am not personally present when the sacrifice is being made, then I do not sacrifice. There can be no proxy in this matter. Tze-kung wanted to do away with the offering of a sheep at the new moon. The master said, "Thou lovest the sheep, but I love the ceremony." These things are not to be tolerated: Rank without generosity, ritual without reverence, and mourning without genuine sorrow. It is better to have virtue with want and ignominy, than wealth and honour without virtue. If a man in the morning learns the right way of life he may die at night without regret. A scholar's mind should be set on the search for truth, and he should not be ashamed of poor clothes or of plain or even of insufficient food. The superior man loves the good and pursues it; besides this, he has no likes or dislikes. The good man considers what is right; the bad man what will pay. As long as thy parents live thou must not go far from them. But if through necessity thou leavest them, let them know where thou art, and be ready to come to them when needed. The man who governs himself, restraining his passions, seldom goes wrong. The good man desires to be slow of speech, but active in conduct. Virtue stands never alone. It will always make neighbours.