Confucius quotes
BC 551-479 Chinese Ethical Teacher PhilosopherThe superior man will watch over himself when he is alone. He examines his heart that there may be nothing wrong there, and that he may have no cause of dissatisfaction with himself.
Confucius
Character
To be fond of learning is near to wisdom; to practice with vigor is near to benevolence; and to be conscious of shame is near to fortitude. He who knows these three things
Confucius
Character
When we see men of a contrary character, we should turn inwards and examine ourselves.
Confucius
Character
To be with God.
Confucius
Heaven
The expectations of life depend upon diligence; the mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools.
Confucius
Diligence
It is better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness.
Confucius
Complaints and Complaining
To know what is right and not do it is the worst cowardice.
Confucius
Coward and Cowardice
Ignorance is the night of the mind, but a night without moon or star.
Confucius
Ignorance
The father who does not teach his son his duties is equally guilty with the son who neglects them.
Confucius
Fathers
Don t complain about the snow on your neighbor s roof when your own doorstep is unclean.
Confucius
Complaints and Complaining
If you look into your own heart, you find nothing wrong there, what is there to fear?
Confucius
Conscience
Love thy neighbor as thyself: Do not to others what thou wouldn t not wish be done to thyself: Forgive injuries. Forgive thy enemy, be reconciled to him, give him assistance, invoke God in his behalf.
Confucius
Forgiveness
It is not possible for one to teach others who cannot teach his own family.
Confucius
Family
The real fault is to have faults and not amend them.
Confucius
Faults
The faults of a superior person are like the sun and moon. They have their faults, and everyone sees them; they change and everyone looks up to them.
Confucius
Faults
Not to alter one s faults is to be faulty indeed.
Confucius
Faults
When you have faults, do not fear to abandon them.
Confucius
Faults
We take greater pains to persuade others we are happy than in trying to think so ourselves.
Confucius
Happiness
To go too far is as bad as to fall short.
Confucius
Excess
What you do not want others to do to you, do not do to others.
Confucius
Example
Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
Confucius
Failure
A man who has committed a mistake and doesn t correct it is committing another mistake.
Confucius
Failure
The perfecting of one s self is the fundamental base of all progress and all moral development.
Confucius
Growth
Have no friends not equal to yourself.
Confucius
Friends and Friendship
A fool despises good counsel, but a wise man takes it to heart.
Confucius
Fools and Foolishness
The strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the home.
Confucius
Family
Faithfulness and sincerity are the highest things.
Confucius
Faithfulness
Death and life have their determined appointments; riches and honors depend upon heaven.
Confucius
Fate
The parents age must be remembered, both for joy and anxiety.
Confucius
Family
The wheel of fortune turns round incessantly, and who can say to himself, I shall today be uppermost.
Confucius
Fate
To be wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it.
Confucius
Mistakes
Man who stand on hill with mouth open will wait long time for roast duck to drop in.
Confucius
Inaction
Learn as though you would never be able to master it; hold it as though you would be in fear of losing it.
Confucius
Learning
To love a thing means wanting it to live.
Confucius
Love
With coarse rice to eat, with water to drink, and my bent arm for a pillow -- I have still joy in the midst of all these things.
Confucius
Joy
Acquire new knowledge whilst thinking over the old, and you may become a teacher of others.
Confucius
Knowledge
Can there be a love which does not make demands on its object?
Confucius
Love
To know is to know that you know nothing. That is the meaning of true knowledge.
Confucius
Knowledge
Recompense injury with justice, and recompense kindness with kindness.
Confucius
Kindness
The essence of knowledge is, having it, to apply it; not having it, to confess your ignorance.
Confucius
Knowledge
When you know a thing, to hold that you know it; and when you do not know a thing, to allow that you do not know it--this is knowledge.
Confucius
Knowledge
If you lead the people with correctness, who will dare not be correct?
Confucius
Leaders and Leadership
Consideration for others is the basic of a good life, a good society.
Confucius
Manners
The superior man is firm in the right way, and not merely firm.
Confucius
Superiority
I want you to be everything that s you, deep at the center of your being.
Confucius
Motivation
Of neighborhoods, benevolence is the most beautiful. How can the man be considered wise who when he had the choice does not settle in benevolence.
Confucius
Neighbors
When prosperity comes, do not use all of it.
Confucius
Prosperity
What the superior person seeks is in themselves. What the mean person seeks is in others.
Confucius
Superiority
The way of the superior person is threefold; virtuous, they are free from anxieties; wise they are free from perplexities; and bold they are free from fear.
Confucius
Superiority
To see what is right, and not do it, is want of courage, or of principle.
Confucius
Perception
A man who does not think and plan long ahead will find trouble right at his door.
Confucius
Planning
Virtue is not left to stand alone. He who practices it will have neighbors.
Confucius
Practice
In a country well governed poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a country badly governed wealth is something to be ashamed of.
Confucius
Poverty and The Poor
Study the past if you would divine the future.
Confucius
Past
When you see a worthy person, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy person, then examine your inner self.
Confucius
Service
It is man that makes truth great, not truth that makes man great.
Confucius
Truth
The superior man understands what is right; the inferior man understands what will sell.
Confucius
Right and Rightness
Silence is the true friend that never betrays.
Confucius
Silence
Life is really simple, but men insist on making it complicated.
Confucius
Simplicity
The more man meditates upon good thoughts, the better will be his world and the world at large.
Confucius
Self-talk
He who wishes to secure the good of others has already secured his own.
Confucius
Rewards
We should feel sorrow, but not sink under its oppression.
Confucius
Sorrow
Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.
Confucius
Revenge
If you think in terms of a year, plant a seed; if in terms of ten years, plant trees; if in terms of 100 years, teach the people.
Confucius
Teachers and Teaching
Without feelings of respect, what is there to distinguish men from beasts?
Confucius
Respectability
He who conquers himself is the mightiest warrior.
Confucius
Self-control
Boldness, without the rules of propriety, becomes insubordination.
Confucius
Risk
Sincerity and truth are the basis of every virtue.
Confucius
Sincerity
Learning without thought is labor lost. Thought without learning is perilous.
Confucius
Thoughts and Thinking
When nature exceeds culture, we have the rustic. When culture exceeds nature then we the pedant.
Confucius
Scholars and Scholarship
I am not concerned that I am not known, I seek to be worthy to be known.
Confucius
Fame
When anger rises, think of the consequences.
Confucius
Anger
They must change who would be constant in happiness and wisdom.
Confucius
Change
The superior man acts before he speaks, and afterwards speaks according to his action.
Confucius
Action
The superior man is modest in his speech but exceeds in his actions.
Confucius
Action
Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.
Confucius
Beauty
To put the world in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must cultivate our personal life; and to cultivate our personal life, we must first set our hearts right.
Confucius
Change
Mankind differs from the animals only by a little and most people throw that away.
Confucius
Animals
Only the wisest and the stupidest of men never change.
Confucius
Change
Do not be desirous of having things done quickly. Do not look at small advantages. Desire to have things done quickly prevents their being done thoroughly. Looking at small advantages prevents great affairs from being accomplished.
Confucius
Achievement
Chose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.
Confucius
Work
Do not worry about holding high position; worry rather about playing your proper role.
Confucius
Worry
Worry not that no one knows of you; seek to be worth knowing.
Confucius
Worry
Without knowing the force of words, it is impossible to know men.
Confucius
Words
Tsze-Kung asked, saying, is there one word which may serve as a rule of practice for all one s life? The Master said, Is not Reciprocity such a word? What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.
Confucius
Words
By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.
Confucius
Wisdom
There are three methods to gaining wisdom. The first is reflection, which is the highest. The second is limitation, which is the easiest. The third is experience, which is the bitterest.
Confucius
Wisdom
To be able under all circumstances to practice five things constitutes perfect virtue; these five things are gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness and kindness.
Confucius
Virtue
The superior man thinks always of virtue; the common man thinks of comfort.
Confucius
Virtue
I have never seen a man as fond of virtue as of women.
Confucius
Virtue
Wisdom, compassion, and courage are the three universally recognized moral qualities of men.
Confucius
Wisdom
To see and listen to the wicked is already the beginning of wickedness.
Confucius
Wickedness
Think no vice so small that you may commit it, and no virtue so small that you may over look it.
Confucius
Vice