1. If wood is supported by a rope, it will be straight; if metal is sharpened, it will be beneficial. A gentleman who is knowledgeable and examines himself day by day will know clearly and act without fault. ——"Xunzi Encouraging Learning".

Hard: whetstone; sharpen a knife. See: check. Province: Reflection. Zhi: Same as "wisdom". Wood can be straightened by measuring it with an ink rope, and metal products such as swords can be sharpened by grinding them on a whetstone. A gentleman who studies extensively and examines and reflects on himself every day will be able to act wisely and without mistakes. This quote emphasizes the importance of erudition and introspection for one's continuous improvement.

2. Everything is difficult, and every move is always in danger of falling. Thinking about it one by one, everything is wrong. ——Jin Ying, Qing Dynasty, "Proverbs Lian Bi·Zhi Gong Lei"

Many things in the world are extremely difficult. Take any action with frequent mistakes in mind. I carefully reflected on everything and found mistakes everywhere.

3. If you only talk about others, you should also look at yourself. —— Shen Juyun, Qing Dynasty, "Xiyan Tuyu".

Don’t just criticize others without reflecting on yourself. I only see other people's eyebrows being short, but I don't see other people's hair being long. Describes only seeing the shortcomings of others but not the strengths of others.

4. Those who are not self-reflective will not be able to see the pain in their body. Those who are impatient cannot accomplish anything. ——Jin Ying of the Qing Dynasty, "Proverbs Lian Bi·Being in the World"

Those who do not know how to self-reflect will not find their own faults. People who are impatient cannot accomplish anything.

5. Sit quietly and think about your own mistakes, and don’t talk about others’ faults in small talk. ——Jin Ying of the Qing Dynasty, "Proverbs Lian Bi·Being in the World"

When sitting quietly with nothing to do, you should always reflect on your own mistakes. When chatting, don't speak ill of others.

6. A husband must reflect on himself when he is established, and know the misfortunes and blessings just like shadows. ——Fan Zhu of the Tang Dynasty, No. 10 of "Ten Ode to Poems from Jihou Study College Sending to Li Shilang of the Ministry of Rites".

A true man should always reflect on himself and know that misfortunes and blessings go hand in hand and are closely connected.

7. Everything is difficult, and every move is often in danger of falling. Thinking about it one by one, everything is wrong. ——Jin Ying of the Qing Dynasty ("Proverbs Lian Bi·Zhi Gong Lei")

Many things in the world are extremely difficult. Take any action with frequent mistakes in mind. I carefully reflected on everything and found mistakes everywhere.

8. You need to think deeply when speaking. If you think about the host and the guest, you will naturally speak less. ——"The Words of the Elder" by Chen Jiru of the Ming Dynasty.

You should think twice before expressing your opinions, because thoughts are the main content, and language is only a means of expressing thoughts and is secondary. Once you understand this truth, you will naturally become cautious when speaking.

9. When you see a virtuous person, think about them; when you see a virtuous person, you should reflect on yourself. ——"The Analects of Confucius·Liren".

Xian: Refers to a sage, a person with both ability and political integrity. Qi: Same. When you meet a wise person, you should think about being like him; when you see an unworthy person, you should reflect on yourself and never be like him. This means that you should learn from the strengths of others to make up for your own shortcomings, and learn from the mistakes of others so as not to make the same mistakes again. This sentence is the Confucian motto for self-cultivation and morality, and it is also universal.

10. If you look inward and feel no guilt, why should you worry or be afraid? Pre-Qin "The Analects of Confucius·Yan Yuan" contains Confucius' sayings.

Introspection, self-reflection. There is no guilt in self-reflection, so what is there to be worried and afraid about? This is what Confucius taught his students, which means that as long as you strengthen your self-cultivation and do not do anything harmful to your heart or morality, you will be selfless and wide-minded.