Confucius Quotes

236 Sourced Quotes

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

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

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

Confucius
When you meet someone better than yourself, turn your thoughts to becoming his equal. When you meet someone not as good as you are, look within and examine your own self.

Confucius
To be able to practice five things everywhere under heaven constitutes perfect virtue.... [They are] gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness.

Confucius
A gentleman, in his plans, thinks of the Way; he does not think how he is going to make a living. Even farming sometimes has a shortage; and even learning may incidentally bring a salary. A gentleman is concerned with the progress of the Way; he is not anxious about poverty.

Confucius
As in the case of making a mound, if, before the very last basketful, I stop, then I shall have stopped. As in the case of leveling the ground, if, though tipping only one basketful, I am going forward, then I shall be making progress.

Confucius
Sincerity becomes apparent. From being apparent, it becomes manifest. From being manifest, it becomes brilliant. Brilliant, it affects others. Affecting others, they are changed by it. Changed by it, they are transformed. It is only he who is possessed of the most complete sincerity that can exist under heaven, who can transform.

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

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

Confucius
In a hamlet of ten households, there are bound to be those who are my equal in doing their best for others and in being trustworthy in what they say, but they are unlikely to be as eager to learn as I am.

Confucius
The man of virtue makes the difficulty to be overcome his first business, and success only a subsequent consideration.

Confucius
A man should demand much from himself, but little from others. When you meet a man of worth, think how you may attain to his excellence. When you meet an unworthy one, then look within and examine yourself.

Confucius
It is when those who are not strong enough have made some moderate amount of progress that they fail and give up...

Confucius
If a man withdraws his mind from the love of beauty, and applies it as sincerely to the love of the virtuous; if, in serving his parents, he can exert his utmost strength; if, in serving his prince, he can devote his life; if, in his intercourse with his friends, his words are sincere — although men say that he has not learned, I will certainly say that he has.

Confucius
There are three things which the superior man guards against. In youth... lust. When he is strong... quarrelsomeness. When he is old... covetousness.

Confucius
A knight whose heart is set upon the Way, but who is ashamed of wearing shabby clothes and eating coarse food, is not worth calling into counsel.

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

Confucius
The superior man understands righteousness; the inferior man understands profit.

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

Confucius
A gentleman can see a question from all sides without bias.
The small man is biased and can see a question only from one side.

Confucius
The man who in the 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.

Confucius
Care not for want of place; care for thy readiness to fill one. Care not for being unknown, but seek to be worthy of note.

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

Confucius
To rank the effort above the prize may be called love.

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

Confucius
Women and servants are most difficult to deal with. If you are familiar with them, they cease to be humble. If you keep a distance from them, they resent it.

Confucius
Look not at what is contrary to propriety; listen not to what is contrary to propriety; speak not what is contrary to propriety; make no movement which is contrary to propriety.

Confucius
Is it not a pleasure to learn and to repeat or practice from time to time what has been learned? Is it not delightful to have friends coming from afar? Is one not a superior man if he does not feel hurt even though he does not feel recognized?

Confucius
It is man that can make the Way great, and not the Way that can make man great.

Confucius