All things excellent are as difficult as they are rare.
Read more
By the same author and on kindred topics.
Peace is not the absence of war; it is a virtue that springs from strength of character.
Baruch Spinoza, 1632–1677 
Niccolò Machiavelli, 1469–1527 
The mind of a master does not stop on any one thing, even for an instant.
Takuan Sōhō, 1573–1645 -
Act without letting your mind be captured by thinking about every move.
Takuan Sōhō, 1573–1645 
Miyamoto Musashi, 1584–1645 
A good name does not arise from nothing, nor does praise grow by itself.
Mozi, 470–391 BC