Confucius Quotes

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

He who keeps danger in mind, is he who will rest safe in his seat; he who keeps ruin in mind, is he who will preserve his interests secure.

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

The main object of conciliation lies in reaching a solution to a case based upon morals and with a warm heart.

Do not let a leader lead you on a bad path.

Eat at your own as you would the table of a king.

All men are born good.

To be in one's own heart in kindly sympathy with all things; this is the nature of righteousness

The ideal teacher guides his students but does not pull them along; he urges them to go forward and does not suppress them; he opens the way but does not take them to the place.

Study the past if you would define the future. I am not one who was born in the possession of knowledge; I am one who is fond of antiquity, and earnest in seeking it there. Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous.

Without an acquaintance with the rules of propriety, it is impossible for the character to be established

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.

Never tire to study. And to teach to others

Fine words and an insinuating appearance are seldom associated with true virtue.

Signs and symbols rule the world, not words nor laws.

Don't let your past determine your destiny.

To rein a kingdom efficiently it is necessary, before all, to put into good order the family. It's impossible for a man who doesn't know how to lead his own family to know how to lead a country.

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

People with virtue must speak out; People who speak are not all virtuous.

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

Sincerity and truth are the basis of every virtue.

To be truly happy and contented, you must let go of what it means to be happy or content.

The wise men of antiquity, when they wished to make the whole world peaceful and happy, first put their own States into proper order. Before putting their States into proper order, they regulated their own families. Before regulating their families, they regulated themselves. Before regulating themselves, they tried to be sincere in their thoughts. Before being sincere in their thoughts, they tried to see things exactly as they really were.

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

Unify your attention. Do not listen with your ears, but with your mind. Do not listen with your mind but with your essence.

How abundantly do spiritual beings display the powers that belong to them! We look for them, but do not see them; we listen to, but do not hear them; yet they enter into all things, and there is nothing without them.

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

Do not unto another that you would hot have him do unto you. Thou needest this law alone. It is the foundation of all the rest.

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

Excess and deficiency are equally at fault.

There are three friendships which are advantageous, and three which are injurious. Friendship with the upright; friendship with the sincere; and friendship with the man of much observation: these are advantageous. Friendship with the man of specious airs; friendship with the insinuatingly soft; and friendship with the glib-tongued: these are injurious.

He who conquers himself is the mightiest warrior.

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

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.

A ruthless man extends his ruthlessness from those he does not love to those he loves.

Who contains himself goes seldom wrong.

Among us, in our part of the country, those who are upright are different from this. The father conceals the misconduct of the son, and the son conceals the misconduct of the father. Uprightness is to be found in this.

He who crosses the ocean twice without washing is a dirty double crosser.

The Path is not far from man. When men try to pursue a course, which is far from the common indications of consciousness, this course cannot be considered The Path.

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

I have not seen a person who loved virtue, or one who hated what was not virtuous. He who loved virtue would esteem nothing above it.

One hundred women are not worth a single testicle.

The sun and moon shine on all without partiality.

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

Surely it is the maxim of loving-kindness: Do not unto others that you would not have them do unto you.

Being in humaneness is good. If we select other goodness and thus are far apart from humaneness, how can we be the wise?

If names are not correct, then language is not in accord with the truth of things. If language is not in accord with the truth of things, then affairs cannot be carried out successfully.

From a grain of sand in the Pearl comes.