Confucius Quotes
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She who is born with beauty is born with a sorrow for many a man.
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The superior man accords with the course of the Mean. Though he may be all unknown, unregarded by the world, he feels no regret - It is only the sage who is able for this.
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Man shoot at nothing, sure to hit it.
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Instead of being concerned that you have no office, be concerned to think how you may fit yourself for office. Instead of being concerned that you are not known, seek to be worthy of being known.
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To be fond of learning is near to wisdom; to practice with vigor is near to benevolence; and to be conscious of shame is near to fortitude.
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Know what you know and know that you don't know what you don't know — that is the characteristic of one who knows.
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Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous.
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To err and not reform, this may indeed be called error.
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To understand yourself is the key to wisdom.
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The Master said of Gong Yechang, “He is marriageable. Although he was once imprisoned and branded as a criminal, he was in fact innocent of any crime.” The Master gave him his daughter in marriage. (Analects 5.1)
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You can successfully force people to follow a certain course, but you cannot force them to understand it.
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Reviewing the day's lessons. Isn't it joyful? Friends come from far. Isn't it delightful? One has never been angry at other's misunderstanding. Isn't he a respectable man?
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He who is harmony with Nature hits the mark without effort and apprehends the truth without thinking.
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Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace.
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The Master said, A gentleman, in his plans, thinks of the Way; he does not think how he is going to make a living. Even farming sometimes entails 5 times of shortage; and even learning may incidentally lead to high pay. But a gentleman's anxieties concern the progress of the Way; he has no anxiety concerning poverty.
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To practice five things under all circumstances constitutes perfect virtue; these five are gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness.
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The virtuous will be sure to speak uprightly; but those whose speech is upright may not be virtuous.
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The faults of a superior person are like the sun and moon. They have their faults, and everyone sees them; they change and everyone looks up to them.
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Give a man a fish, feed home for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed for a lifetime.
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To know and not do, is to not yet know.
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The Master said, “What a worthy man was Yan Hui! Living in a narrow alley, subsisting upon meager bits of rice and water—other people could not have borne such hardship, and yet it never spoiled Hui’s joy. What a worthy man was Hui!” (Analects 6.11)
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If you shoot for the stars and hit the moon, it's OK. But you've got to shoot for something. A lot of people don't even shoot.
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Our headstrong passions shut the door of our souls against God.
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A good man will certainly also possess courage; but a brave man is not necessarily good.