Topics · Love & People
Wisdom about relationships.
What people have learned about relationships the hard way, and what the classics said about it first.
Discussions
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- Speak from experience. Say what you lived and what you learned. Advice without a story is easy to ignore.
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From the library
If music be the food of love, play on.
Let each man direct himself first to what is proper; then let him teach others.
Friendship is certainly the finest balm for the pangs of disappointed love.
We are all Republicans, we are all Federalists.
Love is anterior to life, posterior to death, initial of creation, and the exponent of breath.
Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
The only way to have a friend is to be one.
A friend loveth at all times.
(Its) admirable words can purchase honour; (its) admirable deeds can raise their performer above others. Even men who are not good are not abandoned by it.
Love comforteth like sunshine after rain.
The fault of others is easily perceived, but that of oneself is difficult to perceive.
A lady’s imagination is very rapid; it jumps from admiration to love, from love to matrimony in a moment.
A soft answer turneth away wrath.
Heaven and Earth (under its guidance) unite together and send down the sweet dew, which, without the directions of men, reaches equally everywhere as of its own accord.
The sight of lovers feedeth those in love.
A man that flattereth his neighbour spreadeth a net for his feet.
But I have three precious things which I prize and hold fast. The first is gentleness; the second is economy; and the third is shrinking from taking precedence of others.
The course of true love never did run smooth.
The rich and poor meet together: the Lord is the maker of them all.
The sage does not accumulate (for himself). The more that he expends for others, the more does he possess of his own; the more that he gives to others, the more does he have himself.
They do not love that do not show their love.
Wealth maketh many friends; but the poor is separated from his neighbour.
The great state only wishes to unite men together and nourish them; a small state only wishes to be received by, and to serve, the other. Each gets what it desires, but the great state must learn to abase itself.
One half of me is yours, the other half yours.
The poor is hated even of his own neighbour: but the rich hath many friends.
Under these two aspects, it is really the same; but as development takes place, it receives the different names. Together we call them the Mystery. Where the Mystery is the deepest is the gate of all that is subtle and wonderful.
Small cheer and great welcome makes a merry feast.
The poor and the deceitful man meet together: the Lord lighteneth both their eyes.
We should blunt our sharp points, and unravel the complications of things; we should attemper our brightness, and bring ourselves into agreement with the obscurity of others. How pure and still the Tao is, as if it would ever so continue!
Love sought is good, but given unsought is better.
A violent man enticeth his neighbour, and leadeth him into the way that is not good.
He who knows other men is discerning; he who knows himself is intelligent. He who overcomes others is strong; he who overcomes himself is mighty. He who is satisfied with his lot is rich; he who goes on acting with energy has a (firm) will.
My bounty is as boundless as the sea, my love as deep.
He that walketh with wise men shall be wise: but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.
What men dislike is to be orphans, to have little virtue, to be as carriages without naves; and yet these are the designations which kings and princes use for themselves. So it is that some things are increased by being diminished, and others are diminished by being increased.
He that despiseth his neighbour sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he.
He (who knows it) will keep his mouth shut and close the portals (of his nostrils). He will blunt his sharp points and unravel the complications of things; he will attemper his brightness, and bring himself into agreement with the obscurity (of others). This is called 'the Mysterious Agreement.'
He that is first in his own cause seemeth just; but his neighbour cometh and searcheth him.
He who knows these two things finds in them also his model and rule. Ability to know this model and rule constitutes what we call the mysterious excellence (of a governor). Deep and far-reaching is such mysterious excellence, showing indeed its possessor as opposite to others, but leading them to a great conformity to him.
The righteous is more excellent than his neighbour: but the way of the wicked seduceth them.
We look at it, and we do not see it, and we name it 'the Equable.' We listen to it, and we do not hear it, and we name it 'the Inaudible.' We try to grasp it, and do not get hold of it, and we name it 'the Subtle.' With these three qualities, it cannot be made the subject of description; and hence we blend them together and obtain The One.
He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbour: but a man of understanding holdeth his peace.
With that gentleness I can be bold; with that economy I can be liberal; shrinking from taking precedence of others, I can become a vessel of the highest honour. Now-a-days they give up gentleness and are all for being bold; economy, and are all for being liberal; the hindmost place, and seek only to be foremost;—(of all which the end is) death.
An hypocrite with his mouth destroyeth his neighbour: but through knowledge shall the just be delivered.
When the intelligent and animal souls are held together in one embrace, they can be kept from separating. When one gives undivided attention to the (vital) breath, and brings it to the utmost degree of pliancy, he can become as a (tender) babe. When he has cleansed away the most mysterious sights (of his imagination), he can become without a flaw.
A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother.
Hence, those with whom he agrees as to the Tao have the happiness of attaining to it; those with whom he agrees as to its manifestation have the happiness of attaining to it; and those with whom he agrees in their failure have also the happiness of attaining (to the Tao). (But) when there is not faith sufficient (on his part), a want of faith (in him) ensues (on the part of the others).
A brother offended is harder to be won than a strong city: and their contentions are like the bars of a castle.