I do not know what I may appear to the world, but to myself I seem to have been only like a boy playing on the sea-shore, and diverting myself in now and then finding a smoother pebble or a prettier shell than ordinary, whilst the great ocean of truth lay all undiscovered before me.

Plato is my friend, Aristotle is my friend, but my greatest friend is truth.

I frame no hypotheses.

I know that I do not know.

-- Plato

I know that I know nothing.

-- Socrates

The highest goodness is like water. Water benefits all things and does not compete; it dwells in places others disdain, and so is close to the Tao.

-- Laozi

The trouble with people is that they love playing teacher to others.

-- Mencius

When three walk together, one is surely my teacher. I follow what is good and correct what is not.

-- Confucius

I transmit but do not create; I trust in and love the ancients.

-- Confucius