Confucius Quotes

( Confucius (28 September 551 B.C. – 479 B.C.) was a Chinese social philosopher and thinker, whose teachings deeply influenced the life and thought of chinese people. Confucius was contemporary of enlightened mystic Lao Tzu)

1. What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.
    
2. Benevolence is the characteristic element of humanity.
    
3. Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.
    
4. Reviewing what you have learned and learning anew, you are fit to be a teacher.
    
5. Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
    
6. The superior man is satisfied and composed; the mean man is always full of distress.
    
7. 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.
    
8. Sincerity is the end and beginning of things; without sincerity there would be nothing. On this account, the superior man regards the attainment of sincerity as the most excellent thing.
    
9. The Superior Man is all-embracing and not partial. The inferior man is partial and not all-embracing.
    
10. There is nothing more visible than what is secret, and nothing more manifest than what is minute. Therefore the superior man is watchful over himself, when he is alone.
     
11. The superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions.
     
12. The way of the superior man may be compared to what takes place in traveling, when to go to a distance we must first traverse the space that is near, and in ascending a height, when we must begin from the lower ground.
     
13. The Superior Man is aware of Righteousness, the inferior man is aware of advantage.
     
14. He who exercises government by means of his virtue may be compared to the north polar star, which keeps its place when all the stars are rotating about it.
     
15. When you serve your mother and father it is okay to try to correct them once in a while. But if you see that they are not going to listen to you, keep your respect for them and don't distance yourself from them. Work without complaining.
     
16. When a country is well governed, poverty and a mean condition are things to be ashamed of. When a country is ill governed, riches and honor are things to be ashamed of.
     
17. The virtuous man is driven by responsibility, the non-virtuous man is driven by profit.
     
18. Sincerity is the way of Heaven. The attainment of sincerity is the way of men. He who possesses sincerity is he who, without an effort, hits what is right, and apprehends, without the exercise of thought — he is the sage who naturally and easily embodies the right way. He who attains to sincerity is he who chooses what is good, and firmly holds it fast. To this attainment there are requisite the extensive study of what is good, accurate inquiry about it, careful reflection on it, the clear discrimination of it, and the earnest practice of it.
     
19. 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.
     
20. To those whose talents are above mediocrity, the highest subjects may be announced. To those who are below mediocrity, the highest subjects may not be announced.
     
21. 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.
     
22. Let the states of equilibrium and harmony exist in perfection, and a happy order will prevail throughout heaven and earth, and all things will be nourished and flourish.
     
23. 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. Situated among barbarous tribes, he does what is proper to a situation among barbarous tribes. In a position of sorrow and difficulty, he does what is proper to a position of sorrow and difficulty. The superior man can find himself in no situation in which he is not himself. In a high situation, he does not treat with contempt his inferiors. In a low situation, he does not court the favor of his superiors. He rectifies himself, and seeks for nothing from others, so that he has no dissatisfactions. He does not murmur against Heaven, nor grumble against men. Thus it is that the superior man is quiet and calm, waiting for the appointments of Heaven, while the mean man walks in dangerous paths, looking for lucky occurrences.
     
24. Attack the evil that is within yourself, rather than attacking the evil that is in others.Attack the evil that is within yourself, rather than attacking the evil that is in others.
     
25. Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance.
     
26. Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.
     
27. He that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools.
     
28. Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in getting up every time we do.