Nation

1. Individuals who have sincerely resolved to be pillars of their nation never allow themselves to neglect even the smallest matter of concern to it, even though there may be times when they forget about their own problems.

2. The nation with the best standing consists of people who are unified on all public matters and respect the majority view. It hardly needs to be said that the nation's people must have received a common education of shared values in religion, language, and historical awareness.

3. If we cannot accept the criticism of those we love and who love us, we may lose our friends and remain unaware of our defects.

4. Do not remember the promises that others have failed to keep; instead, remember your own promises that you did not fulfill. Do not blame others because they are not doing good to you; instead, remember the chances you missed of doing good to someone else.

5. One of the most important things that weakens us as a nation is that we are simple-minded toward those who deceive us while pretending to be our friends. Do not believe every promise, and do not be misled by everyone who gives advice with a smile.

6. If people consider cheating and trickery to be prudence and intelligence, their nation is suffering from something like terminal cancer. All that is seen as signs of recovery in such a nation are deceptions, like the swelling of a tubercular gland being taken for healthy growth.

7. If the people of a nation can establish relationships as strong as those among family members, their nation will develop quickly. On the other hand, a nation whose people do not love and confide in each another cannot be considered a nation in the true sense of the word, and its future holds no promise. [Criteria or Lights of the Way, Vol.2, 12th edition, Izmir, 1996, pp.33–5]