130 Famous Confucius Quotes

In this post you will find 130 Famous Confucius Quotes.

 

Confucius Quotes

 

“You are what you think.”

 

“Your life is what your thoughts make it.”

 

“Act with kindness but do not expect gratitude.”

 

“One joy dispels a hundred cares.”

 

“Roads were made for journeys not destinations.”

 

“Study the past if you would define the future.”

 

“The journey with a 1000 miles begins with one step.”

 

“Everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it.”

 

“Anyone can find the switch after the lights are on.”

 

“Forget injuries, never forget kindnesses.”

 

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

 

“He who will not economize will have to agonize.”

 

“All people are the same; only their habits differ.”

 

“Respect yourself and others will respect you.”

 

“The object of the superior man is truth.”

 

“Study the past if you would define the future.”

 

“Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes.”

 

“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.”

 

“When you have faults, do not fear to abandon them.”

 

“Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.”

 

“Respect yourself and others will respect you.”

 

“Ability will never catch up with the demand for it.”

 

“To go beyond is as wrong as to fall short.”

 

“Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance.”

 

“You cannot open a book without learning something.”

 

“Think of tomorrow, the past can’t be mended.”

 

“Wherever you go, go with all your heart.”

 

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

 

“Study the past, if you would divine the future.”

 

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

 

“Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.”

 

“The essence of knowledge is, having it, to use it.”

 

“Silence is a true friend who never betrays.”

 

“Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change.”

 

“Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.”

 

“We have two lives, and the second begins when we realize we only have one.”

 

“If you don’t want to do something, don’t impose on others.”

 

“Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire.”

 

“The strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the home.”

 

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

 

“Never give a sword to a man who can’t dance.”

 

“If you make a mistake and do not correct it, this is called a mistake.”

 

“We should feel sorrow, but not sink under its oppression.”

 

“The man who says he can, and the man who says he cannot… Are both correct.”

 

“Imagination is more important than knowledge.”

 

“Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace.”

 

“Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes.”

 

“A lion chased me up a tree, and I greatly enjoyed the view from the top.”

 

“Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.”

 

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

 

“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.”

 

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

 

“Ignorance is the night of the mind, but a night without moon and star.”

 

“When anger rises, think of the consequences.”

 

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

 

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

 

“Men’s natures are alike, it is their habits that carry them far apart.”

 

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

 

“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in getting up every time we do.”

 

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

 

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

 

“I want you to be everything that’s you, deep at the center of your being.”

 

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

 

“The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.”

 

“Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire.”

 

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

 

“I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.”

 

“Virtue is not left to stand alone. He who practices it will have neighbors.”

 

“They must often change who would remain constant in happiness and wisdom.”

 

“Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without.”

 

“Never contract friendship with a man that is not better than thyself.”

 

“Go before the people with your example, and be laborious in their affairs.”

 

“Looking at small advantages prevents great affairs from being accomplished.”

 

“If we don’t know life, how can we know death?”

 

“He who knows all the answers has not been asked all the questions.”

 

“He who speaks without modesty will find it difficult to make his words good.”

 

“I slept and dreamt life is beauty, I woke and found life is duty.”

 

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

 

“Those who cannot forgive others break the bridge over which they themselves must pass.”

 

“Without feelings of respect, what is there to distinguish men from beasts?”

 

“Be strict with yourself but least reproachful of others and complaint is kept afar.”

 

“A gentleman would be ashamed should his deeds not match his words.”

 

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

 

“To see and listen to the wicked is already the beginning of wickedness.”

 

“By nature, men are nearly alike; by practice, they get to be wide apart.”

 

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

 

“He who acts with a constant view to his own advantage will be much murmured against.”

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

“The man who asks a question is a fool for a minute, the man who does not ask is a fool for life.”

 

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

 

“The superior man acts before he speaks, and afterwards speaks according to his action.”

 

“The superior man makes the difficulty to be overcome his first interest; success only comes later.”

 

“To see what is right and not to do it is want of courage, or of principle.”

 

“If you look into your own heart, and you find nothing wrong there, what is there to worry about? What is there to fear?”

 

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

 

“The superior man does not, even for the space of a single meal, act contrary to virtue. In moments of haste, he cleaves to it. In seasons of danger, he cleaves to it.”

 

“He who learns but does not think, is lost! He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger.”

 

“Learn as if you were not reaching your goal and as though you were scared of missing it.”

 

“It is easy to hate and it is difficult to love. This is how the whole scheme of things works. All good things are difficult to achieve; and bad things are very easy to get.”

 

“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.”

 

“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 you see a good person, think of becoming like her/him. When you see someone not so good, reflect on your own weak points.”

 

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

 

“Virtuous people often revenge themselves for the constraints to which they submit by the boredom which they inspire.”

 

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

 

“When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.”

 

“Give a bowl of rice to a man and you will feed him for a day. Teach him how to grow his own rice and you will save his life.”

 

“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.”

 

“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.”

 

“No matter how busy you make think you are you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance.”

 

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

 

“If you think in terms of a year, plant a seed; if in terms of ten years, plant trees; if in terms of 100 years, teach the people.”

 

“Death and life have their determined appointments; riches and honors depend upon heaven.”

 

“If I am walking with two other men, each of them will serve as my teacher. I will pick out the good points of the one and imitate them, and the bad points of the other and correct them in myself.”

 

“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.”

 

“When a person should be spoken with, and you don’t speak with them, you lose them. When a person shouldn’t be spoken with and you speak to them, you waste your breath. The wise do not lose people, nor do they waste their breath.”

 

“Instead of being concerned that you have no office, be concerned to think how you may fit yourself for office. Instead of being concerned that you are not known, seek to be worthy of being known.”

 

“Isn’t it a pleasure to study and practice what you have learned? Isn’t it also great when friends visit from distant places? If one remains not annoyed when he is not understood by people around him, isn’t he a sage?”

 

“The faults of a superior person are like the sun and moon. They have their faults, and everyone sees them; they change and everyone looks up to them.”

 

“The superior man, when resting in safety, does not forget that danger may come. When in a state of security, he does not forget the possibility of ruin. When all is orderly, he does not forget that disorder may come. Thus, his person is not endangered, and his States and all their clans are preserved.”

 

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

 

“At home, a young man should be a good son, when outside he should treat others like his brothers, his behaviour should be one of trustworthy and proper, and should love the multitude at large and keep himself close to people of benevolence and morality. If after all these activities, he has any energy to spare, he should read widely to stay cultivated.”

 

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