Confucius Quotes
-
If there were one word that could act as a standard of conduct for one's entire life, perhaps it would be 'thoughtfulness.
-
Rather than caring about whether or not you are known, strive to be worth knowing.
-
We can know a person by observing his behaviour, understanding the reasons for his actions and ascertaining his intentions. If we do this, how can we not know him?
-
A man living without conflicts, as if he never lives at all.
-
Wisdom is worried for being slow in its speech and expeditious in its actions.
-
The man of perfect virtue, wishing to be established himself, seeks also to establish others; wishing to be enlarged himself, he seeks also to enlarge others.
-
There are three sorts of pleasures which are advantageous, and three which are injurious. Finding pleasure in the discriminating study of ceremonies and music, finding pleasure in discussing the good points in the conduct of others, and finding pleasure in having many wise friends, these are advantageous. But finding pleasure in profligate enjoyments, finding pleasure in idle gadding about, and finding pleasure in feasting, these are injurious.
-
The gentleman prefers to be slow in word but diligent in action.
-
Sincerity is the way of heaven.
-
All wisdom is rooted in learning to call things by the right name. When things are properly identified, they fall into natural categories and understanding becomes orderly.
-
The man of humanity delights in mountains.
-
Those whose courses are different cannot lay plans for one another.
-
It is better not to proceed at all than to proceed without purpose.
-
At fifteen, my mind was bent on learning. At thirty, I stood firm. At forty, I had no doubts. At fifty, I knew the decrees of Heaven. At sixty, my ear was receptive to truth. At seventy, I could follow my heart's desires without sin
-
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.
-
If you try to do too much, you will not achieve anything.
-
To study and at times practice what one has learned, is this not a pleasure?
-
The superior man makes the difficulty to be overcome his first interest; success only comes later.
-
Not to mend one's ways when one has erred is to err indeed.
-
When I am with others, they are my teachers. I can select their good points and follow them, and select their bad points and avoid them.
-
Be faithful and true of word; let thy walk be plain and lowly: thou wilt get on, though in savage land. If thy words be not faithful and true, thy walk plain and lowly, wilt thou get on, though in thine own home? Standing, see these words ranged before thee; driving, see them written upon the yoke. Then thou wilt get on.
-
Possessed of courage but devoid of morality, a superior man will make trouble while a small man will be a brigand.
-
Only after Winter comes do we know that the pine and the cypress are the last to fade.
-
A reasonable man adjusts himself to the world. An unreasonable man expects the world to adjust itself to him. Therefore all progress is made by unreasonable people.