Confucius Quotes

236 Sourced Quotes

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
The superior man does what is proper to the station in which he is; he does not desire to go beyond this. In a position of wealth and honor, he does what is proper to a position of wealth and honor. In a poor and low position, he does what is proper to a poor and low position.

Confucius
Without recognizing the ordinances of Heaven, it is impossible to be a superior man.

Confucius
I have never yet seen anyone whose desire to build up his moral power was as strong as sexual desire.

Confucius
Those whose courses are different cannot lay plans for one another.

Confucius
Among us, in our part of the country, those who are upright are different from this. The father conceals the misconduct of the son, and the son conceals the misconduct of the father. Uprightness is to be found in this.

Confucius
In archery we have something like the way of the superior man. When the archer misses the center of the target, he turns round and seeks for the cause of his failure in himself.

Confucius
In his dealings with the world, the gentleman is not invariably for or against anything. He is on the side of what is moral.

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
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
The superior man governs men, according to their nature, with what is proper to them, and as soon as they change what is wrong, he stops.

Confucius
The wise are free from perplexities; the virtuous from anxiety; and the bold from fear.

Confucius
Among the appliances to transform the people, sound and appearances are but trivial influences.

Confucius
When you have faults, do not fear to abandon them.

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

Confucius
A superior man in dealing with the world is not for anything or against anything. He follows righteousness as the standard.

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

Confucius
The superior man accords with the course of the Mean. Though he may be all unknown, unregarded by the world, he feels no regret - It is only the sage who is able for this.

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

Confucius
All things are nourished together without their injuring one another. The courses of the seasons, and of the sun and moon, are pursued without any collision among them. The smaller energies are like river currents; the greater energies are seen in mighty transformations. It is this which makes heaven and earth so great.

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

Confucius
Guide them by edicts, keep them in line with punishments, and the common people will stay out of trouble but will have no sense of shame. Guide them by virtue, keep them in line with the rites, and they will, besides having a sense of shame, reform themselves.

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
By nature, men are nearly alike; by practice, they get to be wide apart.

Confucius
[The superior man] acts before he speaks, and afterwards speaks according to his actions.

Confucius