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Confucius Quotes
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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
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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
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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
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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
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If a superior man abandon virtue, how can he fulfil the requirements of that name?
Confucius
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Music is the one thing in which there is no use trying to deceive others or make false pretenses.
Confucius
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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
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Is virtue a thing remote? I wish to be virtuous, and lo! virtue is at hand.
Confucius
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The scholar who cherishes the love of comfort is not fit to be deemed a scholar.
Confucius
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It is man that can make the Way great, and not the Way that can make man great.
Confucius
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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
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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
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There is the love of knowing without the love of learning; the beclouding here leads to dissipation of mind.
Confucius
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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
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In your promises cleave to what is right, And you will be able to fulfill your word.
Confucius
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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
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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
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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
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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
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Only the most intelligent and the most stupid do not change.
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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
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If you did not do so for the sake of riches, You must have done so for the sake of novelty.
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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
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Fine words and an insinuating appearance are seldom associated with true virtue.
Confucius
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Let a man be stimulated by poetry, established by the rules of propriety, and perfected by music.
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Quote of the day
No religious position is loyally served by refusing to consider annoying theories which may well turn out to be facts.
Norman Lamm
Confucius
Born:
September 28, 551 BC
Died:
479 BC
(aged 72)
Bio:
Confucius was a Chinese teacher, editor, politician, and philosopher of the Spring and Autumn period of Chinese history.
Known for:
Analects
Book of Rites (200 BC)
The sayings of Confucius
Book of Documents
The ethics of Confucius
Most used words:
man
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superior
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virtue
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people
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heaven
,
find
,
virtuous
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sincerity
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learning
,
love
,
propriety
,
learn
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three
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mind
,
practice
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