踏上德行之路，舊人必須克己， 但不要把新人置諸死地。 When taking the first steps on the road of virtue the old man must be mortified, but in such a way as not to slay the new man.

留意兩種內、外的克己的分別： 前者是主要的，人應時常尋求的； 後者按照地點、人物及時間等處境衡量。

最好的克己是較尖銳的刺痛，傷害較小， 身體因此承受更大及持續的苦惱。 The best kind of mortifications are those that, while their sting is sharper, do less hurt: for by these the body is afflicted both more annoyingly and more lastingly.