Confucius Quotes

"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it."

"It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop."

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

"Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated."

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

"Wherever you go, go with all your heart."

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

"To know what you know and what you do not know, that is true knowledge."

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

"When anger rises, think of the consequences."

"Study the past, if you would divine the future."

"If you make a mistake and do not correct it, this is called a mistake."

"If you have faults, do not fear to abandon them."

"Respect yourself and others will respect you."

"The cautious seldom err."

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

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

"The superior man is satisfied and composed; the mean man is always full of distress."

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

"The superior man is distressed by his want of ability."

"The superior man is slow in his words and earnest in his conduct."

"A gentleman is ashamed to let his words outrun his deeds."

"A gentleman would be ashamed should his deeds not match his words."

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

"When we see worthy people, we should think of becoming like them."

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

"To see what is right and not do it is the want of courage."

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

"To go beyond is as wrong as to fall short."

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

"The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones."

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

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

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

"Silence is a true friend who never betrays."

"The expectations of life depend upon diligence."

"The essence of knowledge is, having it, to use it."

"The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials."

"Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change."

"If you are the smartest person in the room, then you are in the wrong room."

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

"He who requires much from himself and little from others, will keep himself from resentment."

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

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

"A great man is hard on himself; a small man is hard on others."

"If one's conduct is pure, others will follow."

"A wise man is one who knows what he does not know."

"Those who cannot forgive others break the bridge over which they themselves must pass."

"When prosperity comes, do not use all of it."

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

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

"A youth, when at home, should be filial, and abroad respectful to his elders."

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

"The scholar does not consider gold and jade to be precious, but loyalty and faithfulness."

"To practice five things under all circumstances constitutes perfect virtue."

"The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential—these are the keys."

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

"The superior man is aware of what is right; the inferior man is aware of what is profitable."

"If your conduct is determined solely by considerations of profit, you will arouse great resentment."

"A man who has committed a mistake and doesn't correct it is committing another mistake."

"To put the world right in order, we must first put the nation in order."

"To put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order."

"To put the family in order, we must first cultivate our personal life."

"To cultivate our personal life, we must first set our hearts right."

"To set our hearts right, we must first make our thoughts sincere."

"To make our thoughts sincere, we must first extend our knowledge."

"He who exercises government by means of his virtue is like the north polar star."

"The will to do, the soul to dare, and the courage to act are the foundation of greatness."

"A gentleman is one who never hurts anyone's feelings unintentionally."

"The more you know yourself, the more you understand others."

"A wise man considers what is right, not what is profitable."

"If you shoot for the stars and hit the moon, it's okay."

"The way out is through the door. Why is it that no one will use this method?"

"If your plan is for one year, plant rice."

"If your plan is for ten years, plant trees."

"If your plan is for one hundred years, educate children."

"A lion chased me up a tree, and I greatly enjoyed the view from the top."

"The scholar who loves learning will not be afraid of poverty."

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

"The superior man is distressed by his lack of ability, not by the lack of recognition."

"To know that you know what you know, and to know that you do not know what you do not know—that is understanding."

"When we see worthy people, we should think of becoming like them; when we see unworthy people, we should examine ourselves."

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

"The noble-minded are concerned about their own conduct, while the small-minded are concerned about the conduct of others."

"A man who asks a question is a fool for a moment; a man who does not ask is a fool for life."

"He who learns from others may be wise, but he who learns from himself is wiser."

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

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

"The strength of a nation comes from the integrity of the home."

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

"A true scholar is not afraid of asking questions."

"The man who moves a mountain starts by carrying away small stones."

"The essence of knowledge is to have it and to apply it."

"Learning without thought is labor lost."

"Thought without learning is perilous."

"He who will not economize will have to agonize."

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

"The cautious seldom err, but the bold sometimes achieve great things."

"The superior man seeks within himself; the inferior man seeks in others."

"If you want to know the future, look at what you are doing today."