「工夫难处，全在『格物』、『致知』上，此即『诚意』之事。意既诚，大段心亦自正，身亦自修。但『正心』、『修身』工夫亦各有用力处，『修身』是已发边，『正心』是未发边。心正则中，身修则和。」
「功夫的难处，全在『格物』『致知』上，这就是『诚意』的事。意既诚了，大体上心也自然正，身也自然修。但『正心』『修身』的功夫也各有用力处：『修身』是已发一边，『正心』是未发一边。心正便是中，身修便是和。」
'The difficulty of the work lies wholly in investigating things and extending knowledge — this is the matter of making the intention sincere. With intention sincere, broadly the mind is rectified of itself and the self cultivated. Yet rectifying the mind and cultivating the self each have their place of effort: cultivation is on the side of the already-aroused, rectification on the side of the not-yet-aroused. The mind rectified is equilibrium; the self cultivated is harmony.'