Famous Quotes by Confucius |Short Quotes by Confucius| Famous Peoples English Quotes

  • 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.
  • Without recognizing the ordinances of Heaven, it is impossible to be a superior man.
  • I have never yet seen anyone whose desire to build up his moral power was as strong as sexual desire.
  • Those whose courses are different cannot lay plans for one another.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • In his dealings with the world, the gentleman is not invariably for or against anything. He is on the side of what is moral.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • The wise are free from perplexities; the virtuous from anxiety; and the bold from fear.
  • Among the appliances to transform the people, sound and appearances are but trivial influences.
  • When you have faults, do not fear to abandon them.
  • The man of virtue makes the difficulty to be overcome his first business, and success only a subsequent consideration.
  • A superior man in dealing with the world is not for anything or against anything. He follows righteousness as the standard.
  • To see what is right and not to do it is want of courage, or of principle.
  • 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.
  • Some may study side by side, and yet be asunder when they come to the logic of things.
  • 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.
  • The scholar does not consider gold and jade to be precious treasures, but loyalty and good faith.
  • 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.
  • 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.
  • By nature, men are nearly alike; by practice, they get to be wide apart.
  • [The superior man] acts before he speaks, and afterwards speaks according to his actions.
  • A man who does not think and plan long ahead will find trouble right at his door.
  • The people may be made to follow a path of action, but they may not be made to understand it.
  • There is no body but eats and drinks. But they are few who can distinguish flavors.
  • When a man’s father is alive, look at the bent of his will. When his father is dead, look at his conduct. If for three years [of mourning] he does not change from the way of his father, he may be called filial.
  • At fifteen my mind was set on learning. At thirty my character had been formed. At forty I had no more perplexities. At fifty I knew the Mandate of Heaven. At sixty I was at ease with whatever I heard. At seventy I could follow my heart’s desire without transgressing moral principles.
  • It is when those who are not strong enough have made some moderate amount of progress that they fail and give up…
  • What the superior man seeks is in himself. What the mean man seeks is in others.
  • The master said, ‘Quietly to store up knowledge in my mind, to learn without flagging, to teach without growing weary, these present me with no difficulties.’
  • If a man be under the influence of anger his conduct will not be correct.
  • The way of Heaven and Earth may be completely declared in one sentence: They are without any doubleness, and so they produce things in a manner that is unfathomable.
  • The Master said, what a worthy man was Yan Hui! Living in a narrow alley, subsisting upon meager bits of rice and water—other people could not have borne such hardship, and yet it never spoiled Hui’s joy. What a worthy man was Hui!

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