A cowardly pride and an arrogant sense of shame.

理由も分らずに押付けられたものを大人しく受取って、理由も分らずに生きて行くのが、我々生きもののさだめだ。

The cowardly fear of exposing one's lack of talent, and the terror that even after grinding effort, one's innate insufficiency might become all the more apparent.

I never did anything by accident, nor did any of my inventions come by accident; they came by work.

-- Thomas Edison

There is no substitute for hard work.

-- Thomas Edison

一生懸命だと知恵が出る、中途半端だと愚痴が出る、いい加減だと言い訳が出る。

-- Takeda Shingen

Never flatter others. Never desire wealth and status.

-- Kuroda Yoshitaka

唯才是挙、吾得而用之。

-- Cao Cao

臣事項王、官不過郎中、位不過執戟。言不聴、画不用、故倍楚而帰漢。

-- Han Xin