Confucius Quotes
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Of neighborhoods, benevolence is the most beautiful. How can the man be considered wise who when he had the choice does not settle in benevolence.
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It's only in winter that the pine and cypress are known to be evergreens.
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Exemplary persons are steadfast in the face of adversity, while petty persons are engulfed by it.
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Is there any one maxim which ought to be acted upon throughout one's whole life? Surely the maxim of loving kindness is such: Do not unto others what you would not they should do unto you.
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He who rules by moral force is like the pole star, which remains in place while all the lesser stars do homage to it.
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First there must be order and harmony within your own mind. Then this order will spread to your family, then to the community, and finally to your entire kingdom. Only then can you have peace and harmony.
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The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.
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A superior man may be made to go to the well, but he cannot be made to go down into it. He may be imposed upon, but he cannot be fooled.
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Settle one difficulty, and you keep a hundred away.
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Future generation is the most important thing.
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These are the four abuses: desire to succeed in order to make oneself famous; taking credit for the labors of others; refusal to correct one's errors despite advice; refusal to change one's ideas despite warnings.
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The administration of government lies in getting proper men. Such men are to be got by means of the ruler's own character. That character is to be cultivated by his treading in the ways of duty. And the treading those ways of duty is to be cultivated by the cherishing of benevolence.
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To know everything is to know nothing, but to know nothing is to know everything.
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Good people strengthen themselves ceaselessly.
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When abroad, behaveto everyone as if interviewing an honored guest; in directing the people, act as if you were assisting at a great sacrafice; DO NOT DO TO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD NOT LIKE DONE TO YOURSELF: so there will be no murmuring against you in the country, and none in the family; your public life will arouse no ill-will nor your private life any resentment.
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When three persons work together, each can be the teacher in some aspects.
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The really faithful lover of learning holds fast to the Good Way till death.
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A father's and a mother's age must be borne in mind; with joy on the one hand, fear on the other.
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Even in killing men, observe the rules of propriety.
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If you know, say you know. If you don't know, say you don't know.
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Tzu Chang asked Confucius about jen. Confucius said, "If you can practice these five things with all the people, you can be called jen." Tzu Chang asked what they were. Confucius said, "Courtesy, generosity, honesty, persistence, and kindness. If you are courteous, you will not be disrespected; if you are generous, you will gain everything. If you are honest, people will rely on you. If you are persistent you will get results. If you are kind, you can employ people.
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To be truly happy and contented, you must let go of what it means to be happy or content.
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Don't worry that other people don't know you; worry that you don't know other people.
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Tea tempers the spirits and harmonizes the mind, dispels lassitude and relieves fatigue, awakens thought and prevents drowsiness, lightens or refreshes the body, and clears the perceptive faculties.