Sustainability isn't a choice—it's a responsibility we owe to the next generation. - 每日文摘

诸君学美国，切不可像从前的美国留学生，只要自己变成美国人，不管国家；必须利用美国的学问，把中国化成美国。因为国家的大事，不是一个人单独能够做成功的，必须要有很多的人才，大家同心做去，那才容易。……如果只要自己学成美国人，便心满意足，不管国家是怎样，我们走到外国，他们还是笑我们是卑劣的中国人呀。因为专就个人而论，中国人面黄，美国人面白，无论诸君怎么学法，我们的面怎么样可以变颜色呢？诸君又再有什么方法去学呢？我们要好，须要全国的人大众都好，只要把国家变成富强，是世界上的头等国，那么，我们面色虽然是黄的，走到外国，自己承认是中国人，还不失为头等国民的尊荣。

——〈在广州岭南学生欢迎会上的演说〉，1923年12月21日

孙中山

世态炎凉，古今所共有，中外所同然，是最稀松平常的事，用不着多伤脑筋。

季羡林

I was working at a financial firm in New York City with a bunch of very smart people， and I had a brilliant boss that I much admired. I went to my boss and told him I wanted to start a company selling books on the Internet. He took me on a long walk in Central Park， listened carefully to me， and finally said， "That sounds like a really good idea， but it would be an even better idea for someone who didn't already have a good job." That logic made some sense to me， and he convinced me to think about it for 48 hours before making a final decision. Seen in that light， it really was a difficult choice， but ultimately， I decided I had to give it a shot. I didn't think I'd regret trying and failing. And I suspected I would always be haunted by a decision to not try at all. After much consideration， I took the less safe path to follow my passion， and I'm proud of that choice.

我当时在纽约一家金融公司工作，同事是一群非常聪明的人，我的老板也很有智慧，我很羡慕他。我告诉我的老板我想开办一家在网上卖书的公司。他带我在中央公园漫步良久，认真地听我讲完，最后说："听起来真是一个很好的主意，但是对那些目前没有谋到一份好工作的人来说，这个主意会更好。"这一逻辑对我而言颇有道理，他说服我在最终作出决定之前再考虑48小时。那样想来，这个决定确实很艰难，但是最终，我决定拼一次。我认为自己不会为尝试过后的失败而遗憾，倒是有所决定但完全不付诸行动会一直煎熬着我。在深思熟虑之后，我选择了那条不安全的道路，去追随我内心的热情。我为那个决定感到骄傲。