Confucius Quotes

“From the loving example of one family a whole State may become loving, and from its courtesies, courteous; while from the ambition and perverseness of the one man the whole State may be thrown into rebellious disorder. Such is the nature of influence.”

“Transport a handful of earth everyday and you will make a mountain.”

“To be fond of learning is near to wisdom.”

“If you would one day renovate yourself, do so from day to day.”

“The man of upright life is obeyed before he speaks.”

“If doing what ought to be done be made the first business and success a secondary consideration--is not this the way to exalt virtue?”

“If either wealth or poverty are come by honesty, there is no shame.”

“It is goodness that gives to a neighborhood its beauty. One who is free to choose, yet does not prefer to dwell among the good - how can he be accorded the name of wise?”

“The Master said, “A true gentleman is one who has set his heart upon the Way. A fellow who is ashamed merely of shabby clothing or modest meals is not even worth conversing with.” (Analects 4.9)”

“The silent treasuring up of knowledge; learning without satiety; and instructing others without being wearied: which one of these things belongs to me?”

“You do not understand even life. How can you understand death?”

“The mirror reflects all objects without being sullied”

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

“To know your faults and be able to change is the greatest virtue.”

“Look closely into his aims, observe the means by which he pursues them, discover what brings him content - and can the man's real worth remain hidden from you?”

“Sincerity is that whereby self-completion is effected, and its way is that by which man must direct himself.”

“Look for an occupation that you like, and you will not need to labor for a single day in your life.”

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

“Never hesitate to ask a lesser person.”

“The most beautiful sight in the world is a little child going confidently down the road of life after you have shown him the way.”

“I will not be concerned at other men's not knowing me; I will be concerned at my own want of ability.”

“You turn the handle the way it goes, not the way it ought to go”

“The Master said, A gentleman, in his plans, thinks of the Way; he does not think how he is going to make a living. Even farming sometimes entails 5 times of shortage; and even learning may incidentally lead to high pay. But a gentleman's anxieties concern the progress of the Way; he has no anxiety concerning poverty.”

“Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace.”

“If there were an honorable way to get rich, I’d do it, even if it meant being a stooge standing around with a whip. But there isn’t an honorable way, so I just do what I like.”