Confucius quotes

To put the world in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order; to put the family in order; we must first cultivate our personal life; we must first set our hearts right.

An inch of time on the sundial is worth more than a foot of jade.

A heart set on love will do no wrong.

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.

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

Do not wish for quick results, nor look for small advantages. If you seek quick results, you will not reach the ultimate goal. If you are led astray by small advantages, you will never accomplish great things.

There is only one thing in life which never changes, and it is change.

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.

roads were made for journeys not destinations

The small man thinks that small acts of goodness are of no benefit, and does not do them; and that small deeds of evil do no harm, and does not refrain from them. Hence, his wickedness becomes so great that it cannot be concealed, and his guilt so great that it cannot be pardoned.

A man who does not think and plan long ahead will find trouble right at his door.

You can cheat an honest man but not make a fool out of him.

All people are the same; only their habits differ.

He who fails to prepare, prepares to fail

He who conquers himself is the mightiest warrior.

Man who want pretty nurse, must be patient.

The Man who says he can, and the man who says he can not.. Are both correct

Don't curse the darkness, light a candle.

Everyone eats and drinks; yet only few appreciate the taste of food.

Do not answer the person whose questions are vile. Do not question a person whose answers are vile.

To know what is the right thing to do and not do it is the greatest cowardice.

We are so busy doing the urgent that we don't have time to do the important.

He Who Knows And Knows That He Knows Is A Wise Man - Follow Him; He Who Knows Not And Knows Not That He Knows Not Is A Fool - Shun Him

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

The superior man... does not set his mind either for or against anything, he will pursue whatever is right. The superior man thinks of virtue, the common man of comfort.

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

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.

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.

An orchid in a deep forest sends out its fragrance even if no one is around to appreciate it.

If there were an honorable way to get rich, I’d do it, even if it meant being a stooge standing around with a whip. But there isn’t an honorable way, so I just do what I like.

The superior man loves his soul; the inferior man loves his property.

A man is great not because he hasn't failed; a man is great because failure hasn't stopped him.

To go beyond is as wrong as to fall short.

Those who do not study are only cattle dressed up in men's clothes.

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

Without Goodness one cannot enjoy enduring happiness

All the darkness in the world can't put out the light of one candle.

Love of goodness without love of learning degenerates into simple-mindedness. Love of knowledge without love of learning degenerates into utter lack of principle. Love of faithfulness without love of learning degenerates into injurious disregard of consequences. Love of uprightness without love of learning degenerates into harshness. Love of courage without love of learning degenerates into insubordination. Love of strong character without love of learning degenerates into mere recklessness.

The hardest thing of all is to find a black cat in a dark room, especially if there is no cat.

If you chase two rabbits, you catch none.

Ah, music, sacred tongue of God! I hear thee calling and I come.

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

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

The gentleman has nine cares. In seeing he is careful to see clearly; in hearing he is careful to hear distinctly; in his looks he is careful to be kind, in his manner to be respectful, in his words to be sincere, in his work to be diligent. When in doubt he is careful to ask for information; when angry he has a care for the consequences; and when he sees a chance for gain, he thinks carefully whether the pursuits of it would be right.

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

It is better to light one small candle of gratitude than to curse the darkness.

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

Three things cannot long be hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.

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

When words lose their meaning, people lose their liberty.

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

Silence is a true friend who never betrays.

Do not worry if others do not understand you. Instead worry if you do not understand others.

The superior person is calm and composed; the lesser person is continuously worried and distressed.

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

If there were one word that could act as a standard of conduct for one's entire life, perhaps it would be 'thoughtfulness.

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

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

Do not use a cannon to kill a mosquito.

The man of wisdom is never of two minds; the man of benevolence never worries; the man of courage is never afraid.

Act with kindness but do not expect gratitude.

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

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

Table your mistakes, learn from them, then move on.

Knowledge without practice is useless. Practice without knowledge is dangerous.

Remember even when alone, that the divine is everywhere.

I was complaining that I had no shoes till I met a man who had no feet.

Better than the one who knows what is right is the one who loves what is right.

A reasonable man adjusts himself to the world. An unreasonable man expects the world to adjust itself to him. Therefore all progress is made by unreasonable people.

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

First there must be order and harmony within your own mind.

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

Expect much from yourself and little from others and you will avoid incurring resentments

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

Don't let your past determine your destiny.

Every journey starts with a single step.

All things are already complete in oneself.

A man who lacks reliability is utterly useless.

The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their proper name.

The virtuous man is driven by responsibility, the non-virtuous man is driven by profit.

Seek Not Every Quality In One Individual.

When anger rises, think of the consequences.

A fool despises good counsel, but a wise man takes it to heart.

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

The tongue must be heavy indeed, because so few people can hold it

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

Of course you want to be rich and famous. It's natural. Wealth and fame are what every man desires. The question is: What are you willing to trade for it?

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

The superior person is in harmony, but does not follow the crowd. The lesser person follows the crowd, but is not in harmony.

Tell people - and they may forget... show them - they may remember... but involve them and they will understand.

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.

A workman who wants to do his work well must first prepare his tools.

If you try to do too much, you will not achieve anything.

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

Wherever you go, go with all your heart.

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

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

If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help someone else.

A wise man has dignity without pride; a fool has pride without dignity.

Happiness is not at the top of the mountain, but in how to climb.

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

Time flows away like the water in the river.

A hammer shatters glass but it also forges steel.

When I am with others, they are my teachers. I can select their good points and follow them, and select their bad points and avoid them.

Attack the evil that is within yourself, rather than attacking the evil that is in others.

There are 1,000 lessons in defeat. But only one in victory.

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

Respect yourself and others will respect you.

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

The gem cannot be polished without friction nor man without trials.

There are three marks of a superior man: being virtuous, he is free from anxiety; being wise, he is free from perplexity; being brave, he is free from fear.

Exemplary persons are steadfast in the face of adversity, while petty persons are engulfed by it.

When you see a worthy person, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy person, then examine your inner self.

To know your faults and be able to change is the greatest virtue.

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

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.

He who cannot describe the problem will never find the solution to that problem.

A man who has committed a mistake and does not correct it is committing another mistake.

Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.

Yin and yang, male and female, strong and weak, rigid and tender, heaven and earth, light and darkness, thunder and lightning, cold and warmth, good and evil...the interplay of opposite principles constitutes the universe.

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

He who works for his own interests will arouse much animosity

Please stop waiting for a better and more appropriate time to become happy and focus on the moment you live in. Happiness is not an arrival, it is the journey itself. Many people seek for happiness above the height of human beings, some below. Yet, happiness is exactly at the exact height of human beings.

In old days men studied for the sake of self-improvement; nowadays men study in order to impress other people.