Sima Xiangru (c. 179-117 BCE)
“An enlightened man sees the end of things while they are still in bud, and a wise man knows how to avoid danger before it has taken shape.”
- This quote comes from a memorial written by Sima Xiangru in protest against Emperor Wu’s unsafe hunting habits. It was included in the Records of the Grand Historian (Shi Ji, 117) by Sima Qian. Translated by Burton Watson (Columbia University Press, 1993).
