Confucius - Analects

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Recompense injury with justice, and recompense kindness with kindness.

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 good man does not grieve
that other people do not recognize his merits.
His only anxiety is lest he should fail to recognize theirs.

Confucius
When we see men of worth, we should think of equaling them; when we see men of a contrary character, we should turn inwards and examine ourselves.

Confucius
They who know the truth are not equal to those who love it, and they who love it are not equal to those who delight in it.

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
Men of practical knowledge find their gratification among rivers.

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
One who is by nature daring and is suffering from poverty will not long be law-abiding. Indeed, any men, save those that are truly good, if their sufferings are very great, will be likely to rebel.

Confucius
The wise man delights in water, the Good man delights in mountains. For the wise move; but the Good stay still. The wise are happy; but the good secure.

Confucius
I daily examine myself on three points: In planning for others, have I failed in conscientiousness? In intercourse with friends, have I been insincere? And have I failed to practice what I have been taught?

Confucius
The gentleman calls attention to the good points in others; he does not call attention to their defects. The small man does just the reverse of this.

Confucius
The failure to cultivate virtue, the failure to examine and analyze what I have learned, the inability to move toward righteousness after being shown the way, the inability to correct my faults-these are the causes of my grief.

Confucius
One who will study for three years. Without thought of reward. Would be hard indeed to find.

Confucius
In vain I have looked for a single man capable of seeing his own faults and bringing the charge home against himself.

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

Confucius
Heaven, in the production of things, is sure to be bountiful to them, according to their qualities. Hence the tree that is flourishing, it nourishes, while that which is ready to fall, it overthrows.

Confucius
There are cases in which the blade springs, but the plant does not go on to flower. There are cases where it flowers, but no fruit is subsequently produced.

Confucius
Is any one able for one day to apply his strength to virtue? I have not seen the case in which his strength would be sufficient.

Confucius
Only after Winter comes do we know that the pine and the cypress are the last to fade.

Confucius
Be versed in ancient lore, and familiarize yourself with the modern; then may you become teachers.

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

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
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
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
Learn, as if never overtaking your object, and yet as if apprehensive of losing it.

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
Just as lavishness leads easily to presumption, so does frugality to meanness. But meanness is a far less serious fault than presumption.

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

Confucius