Confucius Quotes
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You must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance.
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The commander of the forces of a large State may be carried off, but the will of even a common man cannot be taken from him.
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When one cultivates to the utmost the principles of his nature, and exercises them on the principle of reciprocity, he is not far from the path.
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Those who break down the dikes will themselves be drowned in the inundation.
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Listen much, keep silent when in doubt, and always take heed of the tongue; thou wilt make few mistakes. See much, beware of pitfalls, and always give heed to thy walk; thou wilt have little to rue. If thy words are seldom wrong, thy deeds leave little to rue, pay will follow.
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He who learns but does not think, is lost. He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger.
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A Nation's character is typified by its dancers.
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Humankind differs from the animals only by a little and most people throw that away.
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We should feel sorrow, but not sink under its oppression.
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Love makes a spot beautiful: who chooses not to dwell in love, has he got wisdom?
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Knowing what's correct and not doing it, it's the worst cowardice.
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That a man lives is because he is straight. That a man who dupes others survives is because he has been fortunate enough to be spared.
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To know it is not as good as to love it, and to love it is not as good as to take delight in it.
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Heaven is author of the virtue that is in me.
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Man is born for uprightness. If a man lose his uprightness and yet live, his escape from death is mere good fortune.
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People with virtue must speak out; People who speak are not all virtuous.
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Chi Wen Tzu always thought three times before taking action. Twice would have been quite enough.
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On matters beyond his ken a gentleman speaks with caution. If names are not right, words are misused. When words are misused, affairs go wrong. When affairs go wrong, courtesy and music droop, law and justice fail. And when law and justice fail them, a people can move neither hand nor foot. So a gentleman must be ready to put names in speech, to put words into deeds. A gentleman is nowise careless of words.
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What you do not wish upon yourself, extend not to others.
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Your eyes are always bigger than your stomach.
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He who is really good can never be unhappy. He who is really wise can never be perplexed. He who is really brave is never afraid.
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Sincerity is that whereby self-completion is effected, and its way is that by which man must direct himself.
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Among us, in our part of the country, those who are upright are different from this. The father conceals the misconduct of the son, and the son conceals the misconduct of the father. Uprightness is to be found in this.
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One who can move mountains start with the little stones.