Justly Rewarding

     "When you meet with men of worth, think how you may attain to their level; when you see others of an opposite character, look within, and examine yourself."
— The Wisdom of Confucius, Epiphanius Wilson (ed.), William Jennings (tr.), p. 24.

     "I cannot understand persons who are enthusiastic and yet not straightforward; nor those who are ignorant and yet not attentive; nor again those folk who are simple-minded and yet untrue.
     "Learn, as if never overtaking your object, and yet as if apprehensive of losing it."
— Confucius, Ibid., p. 44.

     "The superior man is exacting of himself; the common man is exacting of others.
     "A superior man has self-respect, and does not strive; is sociable, yet no party man.
     "He does not promote a man because of his words, or pass over the words because of the man."
     Tsz-kung put to him the question, "Is there one word upon which the whole life may proceed?"
     The master replied, "Is not Reciprocity such a word? — what you do not yourself desire, do not put before others."
— Confucius, Ibid., pp. 85-86.

     "Even in inferior pursuits there must be something worthy of contemplation, but if carried to an extreme there is danger of fanaticism; hence the superior man does not engage in them.
     "The student who daily recognizes how much he yet lacks, and as the months pass forgets not what he has succeeded in learning, may undoubtedly be called a lover of learning.
     "Wide research and steadfast purpose, eager questioning and close reflection — all this tends to humanize a man."
— Tsz-hia, in Ibid., pp. 103-104.

     One of the strange things about living in the world is that it is only now and then one is quite sure one is going to live forever and ever and ever. One knows it sometimes when one gets up at the tender solemn dawn-time and goes out and stands alone and throws one's head far back and looks up and up and watches the pale sky slowly changing and flushing and marvelous unknown things happening until the East almost makes one cry out and one's heart stands still at the strange unchanging majesty of the rising of the sun — which has been happening every morning for thousands and thousands of years. One knows it then for a moment or so. And one knows it sometimes when one stands by oneself in a wood at sunset and the mysterious deep gold stillness slanting through and under the branches seems to be saying slowly again and again something one cannot quite hear, however much one tries. Then sometimes the immense quiet of the dark blue at night with millions of stars waiting and watching makes one sure; and sometimes a sound of far-off music makes it true; and sometimes a look in some one's eyes....
— Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden, pp. 213-214.