The 6th century BCE Chinese philosopher, Confucius, is one of the most revered and influential philosophers of all time. Confucius established social, moral, and ethical standards that became a way of life called Confucianism. His teachings helped in good governance and moral education in ancient China. In the 12th century, Zhu Xi codified the texts of Confucianism, calling them simply the Four Books – The Great Learning, the Analects of Confucius, the Book of Mencius, and The Doctrine of the Mean. This curriculum became widely popular in China, Korea, and Japan at the time. Confucius’ teachings are simple yet profound and also delight the readers. Around the 18th century, western enlightenment writers appreciated Confucius’s philosophy for its independence from the rigid doctrines of the Church. His teachings are timeless and seem to be based on rationalism and humanism. Here are 50+ Confucius quotes to enlighten you:
- “The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.”
- “Desire to have things done quickly prevents their being done thoroughly.”
- “By nature, men are nearly alike; by practice, they get to be wide apart.”
- “When anger rises, think of the consequences.”
- “We have two lives, and the second begins when we realize we only have one.”
- “We should feel sorrow but not sink under its oppression.”
- “The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.”
- “Learn as if you were not reaching your goal and as though you were scared of missing it”
- “Settle one difficulty, and you keep a hundred away.”
- “Fix your mind on truth, hold firm to virtue, rely on loving kindness, and find your recreation in the Arts.”
- “Knowledge is merely brilliance in organization of ideas and not wisdom. The truly wise person goes beyond knowledge.”
- “When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.”
- “Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles.”
- “The superior man thinks always of virtue; the common man thinks of comfort.”
- “To rank the effort above the prize may be called love.”
- “The more man meditates upon good thoughts, the better will be his world and the world at large.”
- “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.”
- “To one who is not eager, I do not reveal anything, nor do I explain anything to one who is not communicative. If I raise one corner for someone and he cannot come back with the other three, I do not go on.”
- “To study and constantly, is this not a pleasure? To have friends come from far away places, is this not a joy? If people do not recognize your worth, but this does not worry you, are you not a true gentleman?”
- “The noble-minded worry about their lack of ability, not about people’s failure to recognize their ability.”
- “When everyone hates a person, you should investigate thoroughly, and when everyone loves a person, you should also investigate thoroughly.”
- “The scholar does not consider gold and jade to be precious treasures, but loyalty and good faith.”
- “He who flatters a man is his enemy; he who tells him of his faults is his maker.”
- “Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace.”
- “Act with kindness but do not expect gratitude.”
- “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.”
- “Ability will never catch up with the demand for it.”
- “Time flows away like the water in the river.”
- “The superior man understands what is right; the inferior man understands what will sell.”
- “For this reason, the gentleman will employ a man on a distant mission and observe his degree of loyalty, will employ him close at hand and observe his degree of respect. He will hand him troublesome affairs and observe how well he manages them, will suddenly ask his advice, and observe how wisely he answers. He will exact some difficult promise from him and see how well he keeps it, turn over funds to him and see with what benevolence he dispenses them, inform him of the danger he is in and note how faithful he is to his duties. He will get him drunk with wine and observe how well he handles himself, place him in mixed company and see what effect beauty has upon him. By applying these nine tests, you may determine who is the unworthy man.”
- “It is more shameful to distrust our friends than to be deceived by them.”
- “Worry not that no one knows you; seek to be worth knowing.”
- “Roads were made for journeys, not destinations.”
- “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”
- “The noble-minded are calm and steady. Little people are forever fussing and fretting.”
- “The superior man is modest in his speech but exceeds in his actions.”
- “Forget injuries; never forget kindnesses.”
- “Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without.”
- “The man of wisdom is never of two minds; the man of benevolence never worries; the man of courage is never afraid.”
- “Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.”
- “To be wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it.”
- “Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart.”
- “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”
- “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.”
- “The man who asks a question is a fool for a minute; the man who does not ask is a fool for life.”
- “If you expect great things of yourself and demand little of others, you’ll keep resentment far away.”
- “As the water shapes itself to the vessel that contains it, so a wise man adapts himself to circumstances.”
- “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time, we fall.”
- “I slept and dreamt life is beauty; I woke and found life is duty.”
- “A lion chased me up a tree, and I greatly enjoyed the view from the top.”
- “Those who cannot forgive others break the bridge over which they themselves must pass.”
- “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.”
- “I hear, and I forget. I see, and I remember. I do, and I understand.”
So what did you learn today by reading the above 50+ Confucius Quotes, and which quote did enlighten you the most? Let us know in the comments. There was another famous Chinese philosopher, Lao Tzu, around the same time as Confucius. You can check his quotes here: 40+ Lao Tzu Quotes Full Of Wisdom
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