Confucius Quotes

To be wronged is nothing, unless you continue to remember it.

Attack the evil that is within yourself, rather than attacking the evil that is in others.

The man who asks a question is a fool for a minute, the man who does not ask is a fool for life.

Respect yourself and others will respect you.

Silence is a true friend who never betrays.

You cannot open a book without learning something.

What the superior man seeks is in himself; what the small man seeks is in others.

Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.

Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without.

Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles.

When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.

Forget injuries, never forget kindnesses.

Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without.

It is not the failure of others to appreciate your abilities that should trouble you, but rather your failure to appreciate theirs.

The gem cannot be polished without friction nor man without trials.

Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change.

In a country well governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a country badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamed of.

To see the right and not to do it is cowardice.

To be wealthy and honored in an unjust society is a disgrace.

The superior man thinks always of virtue; the common man thinks of comfort.

Don’t complain about the snow on your neighbor’s roof when your own doorstep is unclean.

Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous.

Consideration for others is the basis of a good life, a good society.

Have no friends not equal to yourself.

The strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the home.

The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential... these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.

The noble-minded are calm and steady. Little people are forever fussing and fretting.

Without knowing the force of words, it is impossible to know more.

A superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions.

Never give a sword to a man who can't dance.

Those who know the TRUTH are not equal to those who love it.

Worry not that no one knows you; seek to be worth knowing.

By nature, men are nearly alike; by practice, they get to be wide apart.

Faced with what is right, to leave it undone shows a lack of courage.

Never contract friendship with a man that is not better than thyself.

he who will not economize will have to agonize

The expectations of life depend upon diligence; the mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools.

Ignorance is the night of the mind, but a night without moon or star.

Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.

If you look into your own heart, and you find nothing wrong there, what is there to worry about? What is there to fear?

They must often change, who would be constant in happiness or wisdom.

To be able under all circumstances to practice five things constitutes perfect virtue; these five things are gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness and kindness.

He who cannot describe the problem will never find the solution to that problem.

Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes.

When you have faults, do not fear to abandon them.

The superior man understands what is right; the inferior man understands what will sell.

We take greater pains to persuade others that we are happy than in endeavoring to think so ourselves

A youth is to be regarded with respect. How do we know that his future will not be equal to our present?

The way of the superior person is threefold; virtuous, they are free from anxieties; wise they are free from perplexities; and bold they are free from fear.

The superior man, when resting in safety, does not forget that danger may come. When in a state of security he does not forget the possibility of ruin. When all is orderly, he does not forget that disorder may come. Thus his person is not endangered, and his States and all their clans are preserved.

I want you to be everything that's you, deep at the center of your being.

Learn as though you would never be able to master it; hold it as though you would be in fear of losing it.

Virtue is not left to stand alone. He who practices it will have neighbors.

The scholar does not consider gold and jade to be precious treasures, but loyalty and good faith.

Without feelings of respect, what is there to distinguish men from beasts?

Ability will never catch up with the demand for it.

If you think in terms of a year, plant a seed; if in terms of ten years, plant trees; if in terms of 100 years, teach the people.

People with virtue must speak out; People who speak are not all virtuous.

If I am walking with two other men, each of them will serve as my teacher. I will pick out the good points of the one and imitate them, and the bad points of the other and correct them in myself.

Humankind differs from the animals only by a little and most people throw that away.

To see and listen to the wicked is already the beginning of wickedness.

Do not use a cannon to kill a mosquito.

Looking at small advantages prevents great affairs from being accomplished.

He who crosses the ocean twice without washing is a dirty double crosser.

An oppressive government is more to be feared than a tiger.

The cautious seldom err.

The scholar who cherishes the love of comfort, is not fit to be deemed a scholar.

When anger rises, think of the consequences.

Faithfulness and sincerity are the highest things.

He who speaks without modesty will find it difficult to make his words good.

If names be not correct, language is not in accordance with the truth of things.

When we see men of a contrary character, we should turn inwards and examine ourselves.

All people are the same; only their habits differ.

To know is to know that you know nothing. That is the meaning of true knowledge.

The essence of knowledge is, having it, to apply it; not having it, to confess your ignorance.

Act with kindness but do not expect gratitude.

Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.

To see what is right and not to do it is want of courage, or of principle.

When music and courtesy are better understood and appreciated, there will be no war.

Without an acquaintance with the rules of propriety, it is impossible for the character to be established

The more man meditates upon good thoughts, the better will be his world and the world at large.

The book salesman should be honored because he brings to our attention, as a rule, the very books we need most and neglect most.

Wisdom, compassion, and courage are the three universally recognized moral qualities of men.

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.

When you know a thing, to hold that you know it, and when you do not know a thing, to allow that you do not know it - this is knowledge.

The superior man makes the difficulty to be overcome his first interest; success only comes later.

When prosperity comes, do not use all of it.

Sincerity and truth are the basis of every virtue.

To go beyond is as wrong as to fall short.

A man who has committed a mistake and does not correct it is committing another mistake.

Man who stand on hill with mouth open will wait long time for roast duck to drop in.

He who requires much from himself and little from others, will keep himself from being the object of resentment.

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.

Do not worry about holding high position; worry rather about playing your proper role.

It is better to play than do nothing.

If we don't know life, how can we know death?

If a man remembers what is right at the sign of profit, is ready to lay down his life in the face of danger, and does not forget sentiments he has repeated all his life when he has been in straitened circumstances for a long time, he may be said to be a complete man.

The father who does not teach his son his duties is equally guilty with the son who neglects them.

Not to alter one's faults is to be faulty indeed.

Think no vice so small that you may commit it, and no virtue so small that you may over look it.

Tsze-Kung asked, “Is there one word with which to act in accordance throughout a lifetime?” The Master said, “Is not reciprocity such a word? What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Virtue is not solitary; it is bound to have neighbors

The superior man acts before he speaks, and afterwards speaks according to his action.

He who learns but does not think, is lost. He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger.

To know what is right and not to do it is the worst cowardice.

Words are the voice of the heart.

Gravity is only the bark of wisdom's tree, but it preserves it.

With coarse rice to eat, with water to drink, and my bent arm for a pillow - I have still joy in the midst of all these things.

The superior man is distressed by the limitations of his ability; he is not distressed by the fact that men do not recognize the ability that he has.

Can there be a love which does not make demands on its object?

Make fair agreements and stick to them

It is man that makes truth great, not truth that makes man great.

If you lead the people with correctness, who will dare not be correct?

The object of the superior man is truth.

The perfecting of one's self is the fundamental base of all progress and all moral development.

Learning, undigested by thought, is labor lost.

What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.

He who exercises government by means of his virtue may be compared to the north polar star, which keeps its place and all the stars turn towards it.

Is virtue a thing remote? I wish to be virtuous, and lo! Virtue is at hand.

If a man takes no thought about what is distant, he will find sorrow near at hand.

Heaven means to be one with God.

The wheel of fortune turns round incessantly, and who can say to himself, I shall today be uppermost.

When you see a worthy person, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy person, then examine your inner self.

I have yet to meet a man as fond of high moral conduct as he is of outward appearances.

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.

Straight-forwardness, without the rules of propriety, becomes rudeness.

Recompense injury with justice, and recompense kindness with kindness.

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.

It is only the very wisest and the very stupidest who cannot change.

Virtue is more to man than either water or fire. I have seen men die from treading on water and fire, but I have never seen a man die from treading the course of virtue.

Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire.

The firm, the enduring, the simple, and the modest are near to virtue.

To lead uninstructed people to war is to throw them away.

A man who does not think and plan long ahead will find trouble right at his door.

Wealth and rank are what people desire, but unless they are obtained in the right way they may not be possessed.

It is not possible for one to teach others who cannot teach his own family.

Men's natures are alike; it is their habits that separate them.

If language is not correct, then what is said is not what is meant; if what is said is not what is meant, then what must be done remains undone; if this remains undone, morals and art will deteriorate; if justice goes astray, the people will stand about in helpless confusion. Hence there must be no arbitrariness in what is said. This matters above everything.

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. He who knows these three things

Things that are done, it is needless to speak about...things that are past, it is needless to blame.

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.

The man who in view of gain thinks of righteousness; who in the view of danger is prepared to give up his life; and who does not forget an old agreement however far back it extends - such a man may be reckoned a complete man.