•
Confucius said, “There are three kinds of beneficial friends and three kinds of harmful friends. Friendship with the upright, friendship with the trustworthy, and friendship with the well-informed – these are beneficial. Friendship with the fawning, friendship with the insincerely agreeable, and friendship with the glibly eloquent – these are harmful.”
•
The Master said, “Do not worry that others do not understand you; worry that you lack ability.”
•
7.33 The Master said, “As far as taking trouble goes, I do not think I compare badly with other people. But as regards carrying out the duties of a gentleman in actual life, I have never yet had a chance to show what I could do.”
•
The Master said, “(The good man) Does not grieve that other people do not recognize his merits. His only anxiety is lest he should fail to recognize theirs.”
•
Do not scramble for favour and profit; do not lag behind in virtue and accomplishments.
•
A person who shuns power, wealth and luxury is clean. But a man who comes into contact with power, wealth and luxury and still remains unsullied is even cleaner.
•
Chapter 63 offers timeless insights for leadership (wu wei or non-action governance), conflict resolution (gradual de-escalation), and personal growth (the power of incremental progress).