Confucius Quotes
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The Gods cannot help those who do not seize opportunities.
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Ignorance is the night of the mind, but a night without moon or star.
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The man of wisdom is never of two minds; the man of benevolence never worries; the man of courage is never afraid.
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Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.
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It is man that makes truth great, and not truth that makes man great.
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I do not want a friend who smiles when I smile, who weeps when I weep; for my shadow in the pool can do better than that.
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The wise find pleasure in water; the virtuous find pleasure in hills. The wise are active; the virtuous are tranquil. The wise are joyful; the virtuous are long-lived.
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He who speaks without modesty will find it difficult to make his words good.
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I never really said all those things I said.
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The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their proper name.
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A man is great not because he hasn't failed; a man is great because failure hasn't stopped him.
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To take what you know for what you know, and what you do not know for what you do not know, that is knowledge indeed.
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I have never seen one who really loves goodness or one who really hates wickedness. One who really loves goodness will not place anything above it. One who really hates wickedness will practice goodness in such a way that wickedness will have no chance to get at him. Is there anyone who has devoted his whole strength to doing good for even as long as a single day? I have not seen anyone give up such an attempt because he had not the strength to go on. Perhaps there is such a case, but I have never seen it.
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Not to converse with a man worthy of conversation is to waste the man. To converse with a man not worthy of conversation is to waste words. The wise waste neither men nor words.
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Speak the truth, do not yield to anger; give, if thou art asked for little; by these three steps thou wilt go near the gods.
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I want you to be everything that's you, deep at the center of your being.
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When we see persons of worth, we should think of equaling them; when we see persons of a contrary character, we should turn inwards and examine ourselves.
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If you yourself desire establishment, then help others to get establishment; if you yourself want success, then help others to attain success.
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I will not be concerned at other men's not knowing me;I will be concerned at my own want of ability.
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Keep it simple and focus on what matters. Don't let yourself be overwhelmed.
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If I am building a mountain and stop before the last basketful of earth is placed on the summit, I have failed.
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To love a thing means wanting it to live.
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I have yet to meet a man as fond of high moral conduct as he is of outward appearances.
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Though Confucius served the Duke of Lu, a Chinese state, he made many enemies with the nobles of the land. His views antagonized the powerful nobles, who wanted the Duke to be a puppet in their hands. Confucius was exiled from the State of Lu for more than two decades. He lived in the countryside, spreading his teachings.