Confucius Quotes

How can you love people without encouraging them? And how can you be loyal to people without educating them.

~ Confucius

The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.

~ Confucius

You cannot open a book without learning something.

~ Confucius

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.

~ Confucius

Where words lose their meaning, people lose their lives.

~ Confucius

You can force the people to obey, you cannot force them to understand.

~ Confucius

Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.

~ Confucius

Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without.

~ Confucius

Study the past if you would define the future.

~ Confucius

Think of tomorrow, the past can't be mended.

~ Confucius

If you expect great things of yourself and demand little of others, you’ll keep resentment far away.

~ Confucius

A noble minded person is not an implement.

~ Confucius

If there is righteousness in the heart, there will be beauty in the character.If there is beauty in the character, there will be harmony in the home.If there is harmony in the home, there will be order in the nations.When there is order in the nations, there will peace in the world.

~ Confucius

If one should desire to know whether a kingdom is well governed, if its morals are good or bad, the quality of its music will furnish the answer.

~ Confucius

What can a man do with music who is not benevolent?

~ Confucius

The gentleman understands what is moral. The small man understands what is profitable.

~ Confucius

Words are the voice of the heart.

~ Confucius

A man whose strength gives out collapses along the course. In your case you set the limits beforehand.

~ Confucius

To rank the effort above the prize may be called love.

~ Confucius

There is nothing more real than what cannot be seen and there is nothing more certain than what cannot be heard.

~ Confucius

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

~ Confucius

A legendary horse is praised not for its strength, but for its Integrity.

~ Confucius

Without knowing the force of words, it is impossible to know more.

~ Confucius

Writing cannot express all words, words cannot encompass all ideas.

~ Confucius

Naming enables the noble-minded to speak, and speech enables the noble-minded to act. Therefore, the noble-minded are anything but careless in speech.

~ Confucius

Language is insight itself.

~ Confucius

At fifteen I set my heart upon learning. At thirty, I had planted my feet firm upon the ground. At forty, I no longer suffered from perplexities. At fifty, I knew what were the biddings of Heaven. At sixty, I heard them with docile ear. At seventy, I could follow the dictates of my own heart; for what I desired no longer overstepped the boundaries of right.

~ Confucius

知之者不如好之者，好之者不如樂之者。”“Knowing it does not compare with loving it, loving it does not compare with delighting in it.

~ Confucius

When the Master entered the great temple he asked about everything. Someone said, ‘Who will say that this son of the man of Zou knows about ritual? When he enters the temple, he asks about everything’. The Master heard of it and said, ‘This is the ritual’.

~ Confucius

Knowing it does not compare with loving it, loving it does not compare with delighting in it.

~ Confucius

If I raise one corner for someone and he cannot come back with the other three, I do not go on.

~ Confucius

Even when walking in the company of two other men, I am bound to be able to learn from them. The good points of the one I copy, the bad points of the other I correct in myself.

~ Confucius

It is more shameful to distrust our friends than to be deceived by them.

~ Confucius

To be wronged is nothing, unless you continue to remember it.

~ Confucius

He who searches for evil, must first look at his own reflection.

~ Confucius

The superior man understands what is right, the inferior man understands what will sell.

~ Confucius

cautiously, you avoid trouble. See all that you can – then, if you forget the perilous and

~ Confucius

Tsze-kung wished to dispense with the sacrifice of a sheep for the New Moon ceremony. The Master said, You love the sheep; I love the ceremony.

~ Confucius

Ji Wenzi always thought thrice before acting. Hearing this the Master said, Twice is enough.

~ Confucius

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.

~ Confucius