Confucius Quotes
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Never tire to study. And to teach to others.
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Lead the people with administrative injunctions and put them in their place with penal law, and they will avoid punishments but will be without a sense of shame. Lead them with excellence and put them in their place through roles and ritual practices, and in addition to developing a sense of shame, they will order themselves harmoniously.
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Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.
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Never overlook wallflower at dance; may be dandelion in grass.
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When there are duties to perform [true] servants and sons serve their labors.
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Women and people of low birth are very hard to deal with. If you are friendly to them, they get out of hand, and if you keep your distance, they resent it.
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Three things cannot long be hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.
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One dedicated worker is worth a thousand slaves.
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I used to listen to what others said, and expect them to act accordingly. But nowadays, I listen to what they say, and then observe what they do.
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A superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions.
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The superior man is slow in his words and earnest in his conduct.
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Rotten wood cannot be carved.
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If a man is respectful he will not be treated with insolence. If he is tolerant he will win the multitude. If he is trustworthy in word his fellow men will entrust him with responsibility. If he is quick he will achieve results.
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Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change.
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Don’t complain about the snow on your neighbor’s roof when your own doorstep is unclean.
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The wise men of antiquity, when they wished to make the whole world peaceful and happy, first put their own States into proper order. Before putting their States into proper order, they regulated their own families. Before regulating their families, they regulated themselves. Before regulating themselves, they tried to be sincere in their thoughts. Before being sincere in their thoughts, they tried to see things exactly as they really were.
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When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.
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By the ruler's cultivation of his own character there is set up the example of the course which all should pursue.
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Signs and symbols rule the world, not words nor laws.
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A gentleman does not promote a man on account of what he says; nor does he reject sayings, because the speaker is what he is.
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A man who reviews the old so as to find out the new is qualified to teach others.
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From the Son of Heaven down to the mass of the people, all must consider the cultivation of the person the root of everything besides.
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To be wealthy and honored in an unjust society is a disgrace.
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True knowledge is when one knows the limitations of one's knowledge.