Confucius Quotes

Old age, believe me, is a good and pleasant thing. It is true you are gently shouldered off the stage, but then you are given such a comfortable front stall as spectator.

Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.

They must often change, who would be constant in happiness or wisdom.

When anger rises, think of the consequences.

Forget injuries, never forget kindnesses

Without an acquaintance with the rules of propriety, it is impossible for the character to be established.

Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change.

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

He who requires much from himself and little from others, will keep himself from being the object of resentment.

I have yet to meet a man as fond of high moral conduct as he is of outward appearances

He who wished to secure the good of others, has already secured his own.

When music and courtesy are better understood and appreciated, there will be no war

When anger rises, think of the consequences

The firm, the enduring, the simple, and the modest are near to virtue.

To see the right and not to do it is cowardice.

Real knowledge is to know the extent of one`s ignorance.

Those who know the truth are not equal to those who love it

The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential... these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.

Study the past if you would divine the future

The superior man is distressed by the limitations of his ability; he is not distressed by the fact that men do not recognize the ability that he has.

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

While you are not able to serve men, how can you serve spirits (of the dead)?...While you do not know life, how can you know about death?

Make fair agreements and stick to them

Tsze-Kung asked, "Is there one word which may serve as a rule of practice for all one`s life?" The Master said, "Is not Reciprocity such a word? What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others

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

When you have faults, do not fear to abandon them

Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.

Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous.

Heaven means to be one with God.

The expectations of life depend upon diligence; the mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools.

It is better to play than do nothing

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.

When prosperity comes, do not use all of it.

In a country well governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a country badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamed of.

The superior man understands what is right; the inferior man understands what will sell.