Confucius Quotes

236 Sourced Quotes

If the people be led by laws, and uniformity sought to be given them by punishments, they will try to avoid the punishment, but have no sense of shame.

Confucius
If the search for riches were sure to be successful, though I should become a groom with a whip in my hand to get them, I will do so. As the search may not be successful, I will follow after that which I love.

Confucius
In vain I have looked for a single man capable of seeing his own faults and bringing the charge home against himself.

Confucius
The man of perfect virtue, wishing to be established himself, seeks also to establish others; wishing to be enlarged himself, he seeks also to enlarge others.

Confucius
Some may study side by side, and yet be asunder when they come to the logic of things.

Confucius
When a man comes to me, I accept him at his best, not at his worst. Why make so much ado? When a man washes his hands before paying a visit, and you receive him in that clean state, you do not thereby stand surety for his always having been clean in the past.

Confucius
Heaven, in the production of things, is sure to be bountiful to them, according to their qualities. Hence the tree that is flourishing, it nourishes, while that which is ready to fall, it overthrows.

Confucius
It is the way of the superior man to prefer the concealment of his virtue, while it daily becomes more illustrious, and it is the way of the mean man to seek notoriety, while he daily goes more and more to ruin.

Confucius
The path may not be left for an instant. If it could be left, it would not be the path.

Confucius
There are cases in which the blade springs, but the plant does not go on to flower. There are cases where it flowers, but no fruit is subsequently produced.

Confucius
Is any one able for one day to apply his strength to virtue? I have not seen the case in which his strength would be sufficient.

Confucius
There is no body but eats and drinks. But they are few who can distinguish flavors.

Confucius
Only after Winter comes do we know that the pine and the cypress are the last to fade.

Confucius
Be versed in ancient lore, and familiarize yourself with the modern; then may you become teachers.

Confucius
Sincerity is the end and beginning of things; without sincerity there would be nothing.

Confucius
The people may be put into the way they should go, though they may not be put into the way of understanding it.

Confucius
If one is guided by profit in one's actions, one will incur much ill will.

Confucius
In old days men studied for the sake of self-improvement; nowadays men study in order to impress other people.

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

Confucius
The really faithful lover of learning holds fast to the Good Way till death.

Confucius
From the Son of Heaven down to the mass of the people, all must consider the cultivation of the person the root of everything besides.

Confucius
The superior man, extensively studying all learning, and keeping himself under the restraint of the rules of propriety, may thus likewise not overstep what is right.

Confucius
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.

Confucius
Music is the one thing in which there is no use trying to deceive others or make false pretenses.

Confucius
Learn, as if never overtaking your object, and yet as if apprehensive of losing it.

Confucius