Confucius Quotes
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The administration of government lies in getting proper men. Such men are to be got by means of the ruler's own character. That character is to be cultivated by his treading in the ways of duty. And the treading those ways of duty is to be cultivated by the cherishing of benevolence.
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Kong Qiu, or Master Kong as he was known, did not live to see his days of glory. During his lifetime, his views were received with scorn. But that was about two thousand five hundred years ago. A handful of his dedicated followers passed on Confucius' teachings to future generations. After Confucius' death, his followers published his teachings in the book, The Analects of Confucius.
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There are 1,000 lessons in defeat. But only one in victory.
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Behave when away from home as though you were in the presence of an honored guest. Employ the people as though you were assisting at an important sacrifice. Do not do to others what you would not like yourself. Then there will be no feelings of opposition to you, whether it is the affairs of a state that you are handling or the affairs of a family.
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If you would govern a state of a thousand chariots (a small-to-middle-size state), you must pay strict attention to business, be true to your word, be economical in expenditure and love the people.
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There are three friendships which are advantageous, and three which are injurious. Friendship with the upright; friendship with the sincere; and friendship with the man of much observation: these are advantageous. Friendship with the man of specious airs; friendship with the insinuatingly soft; and friendship with the glib-tongued: these are injurious.
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There are three things against which the wise man guards: lust when young, quarrels when strong, and covetousness when old.
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Don't worry that other people don't know you; worry that you don't know other people.
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Do not let a leader lead you on a bad path.
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Balance is the perfect state of still water. Let that be our model. It remains quiet within and is not disturbed on the surface.
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Give a bowl of rice to a man and you will feed him for a day. Teach him how to grow his own rice and you will save his life.
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Have no friends not equal to yourself.
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To give oneself ernestly to securing righteousness and justice among the people, and while respecting the gods and demons, to keep aloof from them, that may be called wisdom.
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Justice is like the north star, which is fixed, and all the rest revolve about it.
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A man should practice what he preaches, but a man should also preach what he practices.
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The gentleman calls attention to the good points in others; he does not call attention to their defects. The small man does just the reverse of this.
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A superior man is one who is free from fear and anxieties.
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Tzu Chang asked Confucius about jen. Confucius said, "If you can practice these five things with all the people, you can be called jen." Tzu Chang asked what they were. Confucius said, "Courtesy, generosity, honesty, persistence, and kindness. If you are courteous, you will not be disrespected; if you are generous, you will gain everything. If you are honest, people will rely on you. If you are persistent you will get results. If you are kind, you can employ people.
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The superior man understands what is right; the inferior man understands what will sell.
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The Master said, The case is like that of someone raising a mound. If he stops working, the fact that it perhaps needed only one more basketful makes no difference; I stay where I am. Whereas even if he has not got beyond leveling the ground, but is still at work, the fact that he has only tilted one basketful of earth makes no difference. I go to help him.
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Learn as though you would never be able to master it; hold it as though you would be in fear of losing it.
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Labor, but slight not meditation; meditate, but slight not labor.
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To throw oneself into strange teachings is quite dangerous.
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To acknowledge our faults when we are blamed, is modesty; to discover them to one's friends in ingenuousness, is confidence; but to preach them to all the world, if one does not take care, is pride.