Confucius - Superior Quotes

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

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
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
The superior man is satisfied and composed; the mean man is always full of distress.

Confucius
The superior man... does not set his mind either for anything, or against anything; what is right he will follow.

Confucius
The superior man, when resting in safety, does not forget that danger may come. When in a state of security he does not forget the possibility of ruin. When all is orderly, he does not forget that disorder may come. Thus his person is not endangered, and his States and all their clans are preserved.

Confucius
The way of the superior man is threefold, but I have not been able to attain it. The man of wisdom has no perplexities; the man of humanity has no worry; the man of courage has no fear.

Confucius
The superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions.

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

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

Confucius
The superior man has a dignified ease without pride. The mean man has pride without a dignified ease.

Confucius
The superior man cannot be known in little matters, but he may be entrusted with great concerns. The small man may not be entrusted with great concerns, but he may be known in little matters.

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

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
The superior man extensively studies literature and restrains himself with the rules of propriety. Thus he will not violate the Way.

Confucius
Therefore the superior man is watchful over himself, when he is alone.

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

Confucius
First and foremost, be faithful to your superiors, keep all promises, refuse the friendship of all who are not like you; and if you have made a mistake, do not be afraid of admitting the fact and amending your ways.

Confucius
The superior man is distressed by his want of ability.

Confucius
The superior man, even when he is not moving, has a feeling of reverence, and while he speaks not, he has the feeling of truthfulness.

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
In carrying on your government, why should you use killing [the unprincipled for the good of the unprincipled] at all? Let your evinced desires be for what is good, and the people will be good. The relation between superiors and inferiors is like that between the wind and the grass. The grass must bend when the wind blows across it.

Confucius
Earnest in practicing the ordinary virtues, and careful in speaking about them, if, in his practice, he has anything defective, the superior man dares not but exert himself; and if, in his words, he has any excess, he dares not allow himself such license.

Confucius
Great as heaven and earth are, men still find some things in them with which to be dissatisfied. Thus it is that, were the superior man to speak of his way in all its greatness, nothing in the world would be found able to embrace it, and were he to speak of it in its minuteness, nothing in the world would be found able to split it.

Confucius
The superior man is broadminded but not partisan; the inferior man is partisan but not broadminded.

Confucius