States are inherently aggressive and expansionist because they exist in an anarchic international system where there is no higher authority to keep them in check.

"Caring too much for objects can destroy you. Only—if you care for a thing enough, it takes on a life of its own, doesn’t it? And isn’t the whole point of things—beautiful things—that they connect you to some larger beauty?"

The living moment is everything.

国君若真的希望人民多而不希望人民减少的话,如果要蓄养姬妾,就不能不节制。

"The best films are those that leave a lasting impression, long after the credits have rolled."

Every champion was once a contender who refused to give up.