Speak the truth, do not yield to anger; give, if thou art asked for little; by these three steps thou wilt go near the gods.
ConfuciusRead
Never contract friendship with a man that is not better than thyself.
Interpretation
Choose friends who lift you up and inspire you to be better.
This quote by Confucius emphasizes the importance of surrounding ourselves with friends who have positive qualities that we aspire to. It suggests that friendship should be a source of growth, where the people we choose to associate with encourage and challenge us to improve ourselves.
In practice
During a motivational speech on personal development, one might quote Confucius to emphasize the importance of choosing the right friends.
Speak the truth, do not yield to anger; give, if thou art asked for little; by these three steps thou wilt go near the gods.
Earnest in practicing the ordinary virtues, and careful in speaking about them, if, in his practice, he has anything defective, the superior man dares not but exert himself; and if, in his words, he has any excess, he dares not allow himself such license.
When you see a good person, think of becoming like her/him. When you see someone not so good, reflect on your own weak points.
Never give a sword to a man who can't dance.
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.
Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.
Associate yourself with people of good quality, for it is better to be alone than in bad company.
As hard as it is and as tired as I am, I force myself to get dinner at least once a week with my girlfriends, or have a sleepover. Otherwise my life is just work.
For a friend with an understanding heart is worth no less than a brother
Labor and trouble one can always get through alone, but it takes two to be glad.
Without a doubt, my richest relationships are my long-term friendships with musical partners, because we make music together. That's what we love to do with our lives.
We are easily comforted for the misfortunes of our friends, when those misfortunes give us an occasion of expressing our affection and solicitude.
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