To draw near the worthy and distance the petty -- this is why the Former Han flourished. To draw near the petty and distance the worthy -- this is why the Later Han declined.
親賢臣、遠小人、此先漢所以興隆也。親小人、遠賢臣、此後漢所以傾頽也。
Military Strategists
Zhuge Liang
The legendary chancellor and military strategist of the Shu Han kingdom during China's Three Kingdoms period (3rd century CE). Zhuge Liang's mastery of logistics, diplomacy, and psychological warfare — combined with unwavering loyalty to a doomed cause — made him the archetype of the brilliant advisor in East Asian culture.
View this figure's profile
Zhuge Liang's Other Quotes
Related Quotes
The way a team plays as a whole determines its success. You may have the greatest bunch of individual stars in the world, but if they don't play together, the club won't be worth a dime.
-- Babe Ruth
Audacity, audacity, always audacity!
-- Frederick II of Prussia
Victory belongs to the most persevering.
-- Napoleon
I must carry through what God commands. I am sure of nothing but I must go on.
-- Gustavus Adolphus of Sweden
He who cannot govern himself cannot govern others.
-- Genghis Khan
We shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender.
-- Winston Churchill