The Master said: ‘Artful speech and an ingratiating demeanour rarely accompany virtue.

Few are those who wish to be endowed with virtue rather than to seem so.

People without any vices rarely have any virtues either.

Sincere words are not fine; fine words are not sincere.

We value virtue but do not discuss it. The honest bookkeeper, the faithful wife, the earnest scholar get little of our attention compared to the embezzler, the tramp, the cheat.

Fine minds are seldom fine souls.

Few men speak humbly of humility, chastely of chastity, skeptically of skepticism.

It has been my experience that folks who have no vices have very few virtues.

People who have no vices, have very few virtues.

The other two are rich and noble; examples of virtue rarely make their home among people like that.

Our virtues are most frequently but vices disguised.

A taste for ostentation is rarely associated in the same souls with a taste for honesty

Things of the first importance are few; let appreciation be rare.

There are very few innocent sentences in writing.