Disclaimer: What follows is mostly borrowed text from the textual archives available online. My contribution to it has not exceeded the editing.
Ptahhotep (ptāħ ħwtp) was a Vizier in the ancient Egypt. He was recognized as a sage, city administrator, and oldest son of Djedkare Isesi, the fifth dynasty ruler (r. 2414-2375 BCE). The Maxims of Ptahhotep were composed during 24th century BC . These maxims are one of several “wisdom” texts found in ancient Egypt typically composed in narrative form. In this text, a father and famous sage instructs his son. This particular set of precepts, however, stands out because they touch upon the most important aspects of human relations and yet the most central ideals for which members of this African kingdom held in high regard. In that kingdom, members of society were measured by the principles of self-control, moderation, kindness, generosity, justice, and truthfulness (used with discretion), which suggests not harmony but a way of guarding against the excesses of power, ruthlessness, and untruth. These virtues, then, tell us the ideal person was thoughtful, calm, and paid attention to the divine—in fact, the ordered world created by humans in ancient Egypt was a mirror image of the order that governed the cosmos.
Following are some of his golden principles:
1. Be merry all your life.
2. Toil no more than is required.
3. Nor cut short the time allotted to pleasure.
4. Don't waste time on daily cares beyond providing for your household.
5. When wealth comes, follow your heart. Wealth does no good if you're glum.
6. Great is Law.
7. If you are a man of authority, be patient when listening to words of a petitioner. Do not dismiss him until he has completely unburdened himself of what he had planned to say.
8. Injustice exists in abundance, but evil can never succeed in the long run.
9. Do not gossip in your neighborhood, because people respect the silent.
10. To listen is better than anything, from it is born perfect love.
11. As for the ignorant man who doesn't listen, he accomplishes nothing. He equates knowledge with ignorance, useless with harmful. He does everything detestable, so people get angry with him each day.
12. A perfect word is hidden more deeply than precious stones. It is to be found near servants working at mill-stone.
13. Only speak when you have something worth saying.
14. Love your wife with passion.
15. A woman with happy heart brings equilibrium.
16. Those who continually lust after women, none of their plans ever succeed.
17. Do not blame those who are childless, do not criticize them for not having any, do not boast about having them yourself.
18. Do not repeat a slanderous rumor, do not listen to it.
19. May your heart never be vain because of what you know. Take counsel from the ignorant as well as the wise
20. He who has a great heart has a gift from God.
21. He who obeys his stomach obeys the enemy.
22. Teach your disciple words of tradition. Act as a model for children, that they may find in you the understanding and justice of every heart, since man is not born wise
23. Punish with principle, teach meaningfully. Act of stopping evil leads to lasting establishment of virtue.
Image credit: Relief from Ptahhotep's tomb, web.
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