Confucius Quotes

“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)”

“The young should be dutiful at home, modest abroad, careful and true, overflowing in kindness for all, but in brotherhood with love. And if they have strength to spare they should spend it on the arts.”

“A youth is to be regarded with respect. How do we know that his future will not be equal to our present? If he reach the age of forty or fifty, and has not made himself heard of, then indeed he will not be worth being regarded with respect.”

“From a grain of sand in the Pearl comes.”

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

“If you don't know the life yet, how could be possible for you to know the death?”

“He who sling mud, lose ground.”

“Do not let a leader lead you on a bad path.”

“Do not worry if others do not understand you. Instead worry if you do not understand others.”

“Virtue is not solitary; it is bound to have neighbors”

“A wise man seeks by music to strengthen his soul: the thoughtless one uses it to stifle his fears.”

“A gentleman is ashamed to let his words outrun his deeds.”

“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.”

“Faithfulness and sincerity are the highest things.”

“The gentleman desires to be halting in speech but quick in action.”

“When prosperity comes, do not use all of it.”

“Give a bowl of rice to a man and you will feed him for a day. Teach him how to grow his own rice and you will save his life.”

“Writing cannot express all words, words cannot encompass all ideas.”

“When I walk along with two others, from at least one I will be able to learn.”

“The man of noble mind seeks to achieve the good in others and not their evil. The little-minded man is the reverse of this.”

“If proper in their own conduct, what difficulty would they have in governing? But if not able to be proper in their own conduct, how can they demand such conduct from others?”

“The Essence of Knowledge is, having it, to use it.”

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

“To put the world 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; we must first set our hearts right.”

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