431 Wise Quotes by Confucius

What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.

Wisdom, compassion, and courage are the three universally recognized moral qualities of men.

Study the past if you would define the future.

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

To be wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it.

Silence is a true friend who never betrays.

Wherever you go, go with all your heart.

He who will not economize will have to agonize.

To be wealthy and honored in an unjust society is a disgrace.

He is the truly courageous man who never desponds.

Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles.

Poor food and water for dinner, a bent arm for a pillow -- that is where joy resides. For me, wealth and renown without honor are nothing but drifting clouds.

A common man marvels at uncommon things. A wise man marvels at the commonplace.

Act with kindness, but do not expect gratitude.

A man who has committed a mistake and doesn't correct it is committing another mistake.

A great man is hard on himself; a small man is hard on others.

It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.

It is more shameful to distrust our friends than to be deceived by them.

Faced with what is right, to leave it undone shows a lack of courage.

The object of the superior man is truth.

Humility is the solid foundation of all virtues.

Never give a sword to a man who can't dance.

To know what you know and what you do not know, that is true knowledge.

Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.

Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.

Forget injuries, never forget kindnessess.

When strict with oneself, one rarely fails.

Excellence does not remain alone. It is sure to attract neighbors.

He who searches for evil, must first look at his own reflection.

There is nothing more real than what cannot be seen and there is nothing more certain than what cannot be heard.

No lake so still but it has its wave. No circle so perfect but that it has its blur. I would change things for you if I could. As I can't you must take them as they are.

A man without persistence will never make a good shaman or a good physician.

The more man meditates upon good thoughts the better will be his world and the world at large.

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

The best and safest thing is to keep a balance in your life, acknowledge the great powers around us and in us. If you can do that, and live that way, you are really a wise man. Euripides to go beyond is as wrong as to fall short.

It is better to live in peace than in bitterness and strife.

It is only the wisest and the stupidest that cannot change.

If you would one day renovate yourself, do so from day to day.

If you shoot for the stars and hit the moon, it's ok. But you've got to shoot for something. A lot of people don't even shoot.

Return good for good; return evil with justice.

In speaking, it is best to be clear and say just enough to convey the meaning.

A gentleman wishes to be slow to speak and quick to act.

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

The superior man is slow in his words and earnest in his conduct.

The superior man thinks always of virtue; the common man thinks of comfort.

The superior man is firm in the right way and not merely firm.

The superior man limits his achievements.

Don't complain about the snow on your neighbor's roof when your own doorstep is unclean.

It is difficult to inspire others to accomplish what you haven't been willing to try.

When the wind blows, the grass bends.

Every house guest brings you happiness. Some when they arrive, and some when they are leaving.

If you are the smartest person in the room, then you are in the wrong room.

There is no spectacle more agreeable than to observe an old friend fall from a rooftop.

The way you cut your meat reflects the way you live.

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.

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

The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trial.

Heaven sends down its good and evil symbols and wise men act accordingly.

I am not worried that nobody knows me. I seek to become fit to be known.

Sincerity and truth are the basis of every virtue.

Lord Chi Wen thought three times before taking any action. When the Master heard this, he said: Twice is plenty enough.

Worthy admonitions cannot fail to inspire us, but what matters is changing ourselves. Reverent advice cannot fail to encourage us, but what matters is acting on it. Encouraged without acting, inspired without changing -- there's nothing to be done for such people.

I have never seen a man as fond of virtue as of women.

The noble-minded worry about their lack of ability, not about people's failure to recognize their ability.

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.

He who works for his own interests will arouse much animosity.

Men of principle are sure to be bold,
but those who are bold may not always be men of principle.

Benevolence is love to all men. It is to know all men.

The person of benevolence never worries.

Of neighborhoods, benevolence is the most beautiful. How can the man be considered wise who when he had the choice does not settle in benevolence.

All wisdom is rooted in learning to call things by the right name. When things are properly identified, they fall into natural categories and understanding becomes orderly.

When a man feels the difficulty of doing, can he be other than cautious and slow in speaking?

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.

The great mountain must collapse, the mighty beam must break and the wise man wither like a plant.

Sincerity is that whereby self-completion is effected, and its way is that by which man must direct himself.

A good man is not mine to see. Could I see a man possessed of constancy, that would satisfy me.

One who never anticipates deceit or expects duplicity, and yet is the first to recognize such things -- is that not a sage indeed?

A wise man seeks by music to strengthen his soul: the thoughtless one uses it to stifle his fears.

I know how the birds fly, how the fishes swim, how animals run. But there is the Dragon. I cannot tell how it mounts on the winds through the clouds and flies through heaven. Today I have seen the Dragon.

Do unto others what you want done unto you.

Don't do unto others what you don't want others to do unto you.

It is the law of nature that woman should be held under the dominance of man.

The gentleman prefers to be slow in word but diligent in action.

Every man knows the smell of his own fart.

Excess weakens the spirits.

The faults of the superior man are like the eclipses of the sun and moon. He has his faults, and all men see them; he changes, and all men look up to him.

The real fault is to have faults and not amend them.

The Essence of Knowledge is, having it, to use it.

Faithfulness and sincerity first of all.

A bit of fragrance always clings to the hand that gives roses. If you are generous, you will gain everything.

Be in harmony, yet be different.

Gravity is only the bark of wisdom's tree, but it preserves it.

When everyone hates a person, you should investigate thoroughly, and when everyone loves a person, you should also investigate thoroughly.

The higher type of man clings to virtue, the lower type of man clings to material comfort. The higher type of man cherishes justice, the lower type of man cherishes the hope of favors to be received.

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.

All men are born good.

He who rules by moral force is like the pole star, which remains in place while all the lesser stars do homage to it.

True goodness springs from a man's own heart. All men are born good.

In antiquity men studied for their own sake; nowadays men study for the sake of impressing others.

Charity is that rational and constant affection which makes us sacrifice ourselves to the human race, as if we were united with it, so as to form one individual, partaking equally in its adversity and prosperity.

Even if I could, I would not exahnge their virtues for my own. And that is why they are intent on learning from me.

An inconvenience is an unrecognized opportunity.

If a man be under the influence of anger his conduct will not be correct.

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.

For benefits return benefits; for injuries return justice without any admixture of revenge.

Friendship with the upright, with the truthful and with the well informed is beneficial. Friendship with those who flatter, with those who are meek and who compromise with principles, and with those who talk cleverly is harmful.

There has never been a man mean and at the same time virtuous.

Bird in hand makes it harder to blow nose.

To be poor without murmuring is difficult. To be rich without being proud is easy.

If you did not do so for the sake of riches,You must have done so for the sake of novelty.

It cannot be when the root is neglected that what springs from it will be well ordered.

It is goodness that gives to a neighborhood its beauty. One who is free to choose, yet does not prefer to dwell among the good -- how can he be accorded the name of wise?

He who is concerned only with the purity of his own life ruins the great human relations.

It is better to play than do nothing.

If one learns from others, but does not think, one will be bewildered. If, on the other hand, one thinks but does not learn from others, one will be in peril.

He who merely knows right principles is not equal to him who loves them.

Care not for want of place; care for thy readiness to fill one. Care not for being unknown, but seek to be worthy of note.

A man who lacks reliability is utterly useless.

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.

Time flows away like the water in the river.

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.

Cultivate the root; the leaves and branches will take care of themselves.

The Way is not for, but from, man; if we take the Way as something superhuman, beyond man, this is not the real Way.

Give me a few more years so that I am studying at fifty, and surely I may avoid major errors.

Virtue is not solitary; it is bound to have neighbors.

In a hamlet of ten households, there are bound to be those who are my equal in doing their best for others and in being trustworthy in what they say, but they are unlikely to be as eager to learn as I am.

A gentleman considers what is right; the vulgar consider what will pay.

You can force the people to obey; you cannot force them to understand.

The whole end of speech is to be understood.

When a nation or family is about to flourish, there are sure to be happy omens; and when it is about to perish, there are sure to be unlucky omens.

As the water shapes itself to the vessel that contains it, so a wise man adapts himself to circumstances.

There is good government when those who are near are made happy, and when those who are afar are attracted.

Keep it simple and focus on what matters. Don't let yourself be overwhelmed.

Let every man consider virtue as what devolves on himself. He may not yield the performance of it even to his teacher.

There are not the weeds the ones that drown the good seed, but the negligence of the peasant.

An angry person is always full of poison.

The Three Armies can be deprived of their commanding officer, but even a common man cannot be deprived of his purpose.

It was by music that the ancient kings gave elegant expression to their joy. By their armies and axes they gave the same to their anger.

To learn without thinking is labour in vain, to think without learning is desolation.

Girl who sit on Judge's lap get honorable discharge.

When you see a good man, try to emulate his example, and when you see a bad man, search yourself for his faults.

He who needs only coarse food, water and drink, and as pillow his folded arms will find happiness without further search.

When prosperity comes, do not use all of it.

From the Son of Heaven down to the mass of the people, all must consider the cultivation of the person the root of everything besides.

A man exercising no forethought will soon experience present sorrow.

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.

Character is the backbone of our human culture. Music is the flowering of character.

The nobler sort of man emphasizes the good qualities in others, and does not accentuate the bad. The inferior does.

A gentleman is calm and spacious: the vulgar are always fretting.

The superior person tries to promote music as a means to the perfection of human culture. When such music prevails, and people's minds are led towards the right ideals and aspirations, we may see the appearance of a great nation.

Because the newer methods of treatment are good, it does not follow that the old ones were bad: for if our honorable and worshipful ancestors had not recovered from their ailments, you and I would not be here today.

The archer who misses his mark does not blame the target. He stops, corrects himself and shoots again.

For one word a man is often deemed to be wise, and for one word he is often deemed to be foolish. We should be careful indeed what we say.

If you would govern a state of a thousand chariots (a small-to-middle-size state), you must pay strict attention to business, be true to your word, be economical in expenditure and love the people.

The wise find pleasure in water; the virtuous find pleasure in hills. The wise are active; the virtuous are tranquil. The wise are joyful; the virtuous are long-lived.

I do not enlighten those who are not eager to learn, nor arouse those who are not anxious to give an explanation themselves. If I have presented one corner of the square and they cannot come back to me with the other three, I should not go over the points again.

Only one who bursts with enthusiasm do I instruct; Only one who bubbles with excitement do I enlighten. If I hold up one corner and you do not come back to me with the other three, I do not continue the lesson.

When three persons work together, each can be the teacher in some aspects.

The people may be made to follow a path of action but they may not be made to understand it.

In his dealings with the world, the gentleman is not invariably for or against anything. He is on the side of what is moral.

When admins have faults, they do not fear to ignore them.

To know everything is to know nothing, but to know nothing is to know everything.

Men's natures are alike; it is their habits that separate them.

A good man regards the root; he fixes the root, and ail else flows out of it. The root is filial piety; the fruit brotherly love.

It's only in winter that the pine and cypress are known to be evergreens.

Can there be a love which does not make demands on its object?

Being strong does not mean that you never fall down, but that whenever you fall, you get up again.

Happiness does not consist in having what you want, but in wanting what you have.

Seek Not Every Quality In One Individual.

At fifteen, my mind was bent on learning.

At thirty, I stood firm.

At forty, I had no doubts.

At fifty, I knew the decrees of Heaven.

At sixty, my ear was receptive to truth.

At seventy, I could follow my heart's desires without sin.

Does Heaven ever speak? The four seasons come and go, and all creatures thrive and grow. Does Heaven ever speak!

The shortest distance between any two points on a golf course is a straight line that passes directly through the center of a very large tree.

From a grain of sand in the Pearl comes.

A hammer shatters glass but it also forges steel.

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.'

A happy union with wife and child is like the music of lutes and harps.

The really faithful lover of learning holds fast to the Good Way till death.

If one is guided by profit in one's actions, one will incur much ill will.

Where words lose their meaning, people lose their lives.

Even in killing men, observe the rules of propriety.

Knowing something is not as good as liking it. Liking something is not as good as rejoicing in it.

He who remembers from day to day what he has yet to learn, and from month to month what he has learned already, may be said to have a love of learning.

Is there any one maxim which ought to be acted upon throughout one's whole life? Surely the maxim of loving kindness is such: Do not unto others what you would not they should do unto you.

Fix your mind on truth, hold firm to virtue, rely on loving kindness, and find your recreation in the Arts.

Do not use a cannon to kill a mosquito.

There is one single thread binding my way together...the way of the Master consists in doing one's best...that is all.

The perfecting of one's self is the fundamental base of all progress and all moral development.

One who can move mountains start with the little stones.

Worry not that no one knows you; seek to be worth knowing.

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

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.

There is never a case when the root is in order and yet the branches are in order.

I am not bothered by the fact that I am not understood. I am bothered when I do not know others.

Wisdom delights in water; love delights in hills. Wisdom is stirring; love is quiet. Wisdom is merry; love grows old.