Though Confucius served the Duke of Lu, a Chinese state, he made many enemies with the nobles of the land. His views antagonized the powerful nobles, who wanted the Duke to be a puppet in their hands. Confucius was exiled from the State of Lu for more than two decades. He lived in the countryside, spreading his teachings.

The superior man does what is proper to the station in which he is; he does not desire to go beyond this.

Heaven begat Virtue in me; what can man do unto me?

Just as lavishness leads easily to presumption, so does frugality to meanness. But meanness is a far less serious fault than presumption.

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

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

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