How can one human being be inferior to another? In all matters of discipline, one will be useless unless he has great pride. Unless one is determined to move the clan by himself, all his discipline will come to naught. Although, like a tea kettle, it is easy for one’s enthusiasm to cool, there is a way to keep this from happening. My own vows are the following:
Never to be outdone in the way of the samurai.
To be of good use to the master.
To be filial to my parents.
To manifest great compassion, and to act for the sake of man.
(Yamamoto Tsunetomo - Hagakure: Book Of The Samurai)