Confucius Quotes

236 Sourced Quotes

If I cannot get men who steer a middle course to associate with, I would far rather have the impetuous and hasty. For the impetuous at any rate assert themselves.

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
When you know a thing, to hold that you know it; and when you do not know a thing, to allow that you do not know it—this is knowledge.

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
If a superior man abandon virtue, how can he fulfil the requirements of that name?

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

Confucius
Who expects to be able to go out of a house except by the door? How is it then that no one follows this Way of ours?

Confucius
Is virtue a thing remote? I wish to be virtuous, and lo! virtue is at hand.

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

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

Confucius
When a man's knowledge is sufficient to attain, and his virtue is not sufficient to enable him to hold, whatever he may have gained, he will lose again.

Confucius
At fifteen, my mind was bent on learning.
At thirty, I stood firm.
At forty, I had no doubts.
At fifty, I knew the decrees of Heaven.
At sixty, my ear was receptive to truth.
At seventy, I could follow my heart's desires without sin.

Confucius
There is the love of knowing without the love of learning; the beclouding here leads to dissipation of mind.

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
In your promises cleave to what is right, And you will be able to fulfill your word.

Confucius
There are three degrees of filial piety. The highest is being a credit to our parents, the second is not disgracing them; the lowest is being able simply to support them.

Confucius
It was by music that the ancient kings gave elegant expression to their joy. By their armies and axes they gave the same to their anger.

Confucius
When we have intelligence resulting from sincerity, this condition is to be ascribed to nature; when we have sincerity resulting from intelligence, this condition is to be ascribed to instruction. But given the sincerity, and there shall be the intelligence; given the intelligence, and there shall be the sincerity.

Confucius
That a man lives is because he is straight. That a man who dupes others survives is because he has been fortunate enough to be spared.

Confucius
Only the most intelligent and the most stupid do not change.

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
If you did not do so for the sake of riches, You must have done so for the sake of novelty.

Confucius
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?

Confucius
Fine words and an insinuating appearance are seldom associated with true virtue.

Confucius
Let a man be stimulated by poetry, established by the rules of propriety, and perfected by music.

Confucius