Confucius (551BCE-479BCE) was a Chinese teacher, editor, politician, and philosopher of the Spring and Autumn period of Chinese history. The philosophy of Confucius emphasized personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, justice and sincerity. His followers competed successfully with many other schools during the Hundred Schools of Thought era only to be suppressed in favor of the Legalists during the Qin Dynasty. Following the victory of Han over Chu after the collapse of Qin, Confucius’s thoughts received official sanction and were further developed into a system known as Confucianism.
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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.
—Confucius
Heaven will be inherited by every man who has heaven in his soul.
—Confucius
Study the past, if you would define the future.
—Confucius
Topics: Future, The Past, Past, Time
The wheel of fortune turns round incessantly,
and who can say to himself, “I shall today be uppermost.”
—Confucius
The virtuous man is driven by responsibility; the non-virtuous man is driven by profit.
—Confucius
Topics: Virtue
When you see a worthy person, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy person, then examine your inner self.
—Confucius
Topics: Service
A man who does not plan for long ahead will find trouble right at his door.
—Confucius
To be wronged is nothing,
unless you continue to remember it.
—Confucius
Wisdom, compassion, and courage are the three universally recognized moral qualities of men.
—Confucius
Topics: Character, Compassion, Wisdom
Mankind differs from the animals only by a little and most people throw that away.
—Confucius
Topics: Animals
Men’s natures are alike;
it is their habits that separate them.
—Confucius
Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.
—Confucius
To know what we know what we know, and that we do not know what we do not know, that is true knowledge.
—Confucius
A man who has committed a mistake and doesn’t correct it is committing another mistake.
—Confucius
To know is to know that you know nothing. That is the meaning of true knowledge.
—Confucius
Topics: Knowledge, Meaning
The superior man does not set his mind either for anything, or against anything; what is right he will follow.
—Confucius
Men’s natures are alike, it is their habits that carry them far apart.
—Confucius
You can cheat an honest man but you can not make a fool out of him.
—Confucius
If you give a man a fish, you feed him for a day.
If you teach a man how to fish, you feed him for a lifetime.
—Confucius
Wherever you go, go with all your heart.
—Confucius
Person who chases two rabbits catches neither.
—Confucius
To be able to practice five things everywhere under heaven constitutes perfect virtue… gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness.
—Confucius
Topics: Kindness, Virtue
Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.
—Confucius
The superior man acts before he speaks,
and afterwards speaks according to his action.
—Confucius
Reviewing what you have learned and learning anew, you are fit to be a teacher.
—Confucius
Topics: Knowledge, Learning
We take greater pains to persuade others that
we are happy than in endeavoring to think so ourselves.
—Confucius
When things are investigated, then true knowledge is achieved; when true knowledge is achieved, then the will becomes sincere; when the will is sincere, then the heart is set right ; when the heart is set right, then the personal life is cultivated; when the personal life is cultivated, then the family life is regulated; when the family life is regulated, then the national life is orderly; and when the national life is orderly, then there is peace in this world.
—Confucius
No matter where you go — there you are
—Confucius
For one word a man is often declared to be wise,
and for one word he can be judged to be foolish.
We should be careful indeed what we say.
—Confucius
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