Confucius Quotes
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The superior person tries to promote music as a means to the perfection of human culture. When such music prevails, and people's minds are led towards the right ideals and aspirations, we may see the appearance of a great nation.
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Love of goodness without love of learning degenerates into simple-mindedness. Love of knowledge without love of learning degenerates into utter lack of principle. Love of faithfulness without love of learning degenerates into injurious disregard of consequences. Love of uprightness without love of learning degenerates into harshness. Love of courage without love of learning degenerates into insubordination. Love of strong character without love of learning degenerates into mere recklessness.
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Don't make to others what you don't want them to make to you.
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The superior man, when resting in safety, does not forget that danger may come.
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A country of a thousand war-chariots cannot be administered unless the ruler attends strictly to business, punctually observes his promises, is economical in expenditure, loves the people, and uses the labor of the peasantry only at the proper times of year.
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He who needs only coarse food, water and drink, and as pillow his folded arms will find happiness without further search.
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It is when those who are not strong enough have made some moderate amount of progress that they fail and give up.
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Care about what other people think and you will always be their prisoner.
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Being in humaneness is good. If we select other goodness and thus are far apart from humaneness, how can we be the wise?
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If a superior man abandon virtue, how can he fulfil the requirements of that name?
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Guide the people by law, subdue them by punishment; they may shun crime, but will be void of shame. Guide them by example, subdue them by courtesy; they will learn shame, and come to be good.
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Clever talk and domineering manner have little to with being a Man at His Best.
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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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The highest kind of man is the one who does before talking and practices what he professes.
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Ceremonies are the first thing to be attended to in the practice of government.
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To rein a kingdom efficiently it is necessary, before all, to put into good order the family. It's impossible for a man who doesn't know how to lead his own family to know how to lead a country.
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A gentleman can withstand hardships; it is only the small man who, when submitted to them, is swept off his feet.
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To be poor without murmuring is difficult. To be rich without being proud is easy.
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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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The superior man loves his soul; the inferior man loves his property.
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Those who are firm, enduring, simple and unpretentious are the nearest to virtue.
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The people may be made to follow a path of action but they may not be made to understand it.
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It is easy to hate and it is difficult to love. This is how the whole scheme of things works. All good things are difficult to achieve; and bad things are very easy to get.
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We should feel sorrow, but not sink under its oppression.