照顧靈魂的人正需要勇氣， 以免照料別人的得救時，卻危及自己的得救。 Those who have care of souls need nothing so much as courage, lest, while they are looking after others’ salvation, they endanger their own.

自知本身全部弱點的人絕無僅有， 除非天主對他顯露無遺。 Rare indeed is the man who knows all his weaknesses of all kinds, unless God specially reveals them to him.

無精打彩地服務世界關係不大： 但不冷不熱地事奉天主，是難以忍受的。 Serving the world halfheartedly matters little; but serving God halfheartedly is not to be borne.

戒避固執；但當事情有好的開始，就堅持到底，切勿因疲累或絕望而可鄙地逃避。 Avoid all obstinacy; but when you have begun a thing well, stick to it, and do not basely flee through weariness or despair.

有關近人得救的事，需要權力， 但不是參與世俗的虛幻權力。 In the matter of your neighbor’s salvation authority is necessary, but not the kind that partakes of the vain authority of the world.

倘若你沒法原諒別人太明顯的罪，不要譴責罪人，只怪誘惑猛烈，記住自己亦會同樣跌倒，甚至更嚴重。 If your neighbor’s sin is so manifest that you cannot in honesty excuse it, blame not the sinner but the violence of his temptation, remembering that you yourself might have fallen as badly or even worse.

謀求改革世界的人必先由自己開始，否則徒勞無功。 He who goes about to reform the world must begin with himself, or he loses his labor.

因情感或沮喪導致思想偏差時不作決定，直至焦慮消失，為使你的行為，由成熟的理智而非衝動發號施令。 Make no decision about anything when the mind is biased either by affection or by great dejection. Put if off till the anxiety has disappeared, so that you may do what mature reason, not impulse, dictates.

徹底認識一個人，才作朋友。 Know a man thoroughly before becoming his friend.

倘若開始時自己贊同， 亦會輕易贏得他人的贊同。 If you begin by winning your own approval, you will easily command that of others.

不要開展備受公眾觀察及評論的公共利益事項，除非預先看到讓事情圓滿成功的方法。 In particular, do not embark on affairs of public interest, which will be open to the observation and criticism of the many, unless you foresee a way of bringing them to a successful conclusion.