Confucius was a Chinese philosopher and politician of the Spring and Autumn period. The philosophy of Confucius, also known as Confucianism, emphasized personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, justice and sincerity. Confucius’s principles have commonality with Chinese tradition and belief. He championed strong family loyalty, ancestor veneration, and respect of elders by their children and of husbands by their wives, recommending family as a basis for ideal government.
He espoused the well-known principle “Do not do unto others what you do not want done to yourself”, the Golden Rule. He is also a traditional deity in Daoism. Confucius is widely considered as one of the most important and influential individuals in shaping human history. His teaching and philosophy greatly impacted people around the world and remains influential today.
Some of the best quotes from Confucius are listed below.
- “A common man marvels at uncommon things. A wise man marvels at the commonplace.” – Confucius
- “A fool despises good counsel, but a wise man takes it to heart.” – Confucius
- “A great man is hard on himself; a small man is hard on others.” – Confucius
- “A man is great not because he hasn’t failed; a man is great because failure hasn’t stopped him.” – Confucius
- “A man who does not think and plan long ahead will find trouble right at his door.” – Confucius
- “A reasonable man adjusts himself to the world. An unreasonable man expects the world to adjust itself to him. Therefore all progress is made by unreasonable people.” – Confucius
- “A superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions.” – Confucius
- “Act with kindness but do not expect gratitude.” – Confucius
- “As the water shapes itself to the vessel that contains it, so a wise man adapts himself to circumstances.” – Confucius
- “Attack the evil that is within yourself, rather than attacking the evil that is in others.” – Confucius
- “Be loyal and trustworthy. Do not befriend anyone who is lower than yourself in this regard.” – Confucius
- “Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes.” – Confucius
- “Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.” – Confucius
- “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” – Confucius
- “Consideration for others is the basic of a good life, a good society.” – Confucius
- “Cultivate the root; the leaves and branches will take care of themselves.” – Confucius
- “Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire.” – Confucius
- “Do not wish for quick results, nor look for small advantages. If you seek quick results, you will not reach the ultimate goal. If you are led astray by small advantages, you will never accomplish great things.” – Confucius
- “Don’t curse the darkness, light a candle.” – Confucius
- “Don’t let your past determine your destiny.” – Confucius
- “Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.” – Confucius
- “Exemplary persons are steadfast in the face of adversity, while petty persons are engulfed by it.” – Confucius
- “Expect much from yourself and little from others and you will avoid incurring resentments.” – Confucius
- “Forget injuries, never forget kindness.” – Confucius
- “Great is the man who can overcome the world, but greater still is the man who can overcome himself, for he will have the world spinning on the palm of his hand.” – Confucius
- “Happiness does not consist in having what you want, but in wanting what you have.” – Confucius
- “He who chases two rabbits, catches none.” – Confucius
- “I want you to be everything that’s you, deep at the center of your being.” – Confucius
- “I was complaining that I had no shoes till I met a man who had no feet.” – Confucius
- “If one is guided by profit in one’s actions, one will incur much ill will.” – 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 you are courteous, you will not be disrespected; if you are generous, you will gain everything. If you are honest, people will rely on you. If you are persistent you will get results. If you are kind, you can employ people.” – Confucius
- “If you are the smartest person in the room, then you are in the wrong room.” – Confucius
- “If you look into your own heart, and you find nothing wrong there, what is there to worry about? What is there to fear?” – Confucius
- “If you make a mistake and do not correct it, this is called a mistake.” – Confucius
- “If you shoot for the stars and hit the moon, it’s OK. But you’ve got to shoot for something. A lot of people don’t even shoot.” – Confucius
- “If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help someone else.” – Confucius
- “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” – Confucius
- “In speaking, it is best to be clear and say just enough to convey the meaning.” – Confucius
- “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” – Confucius
- “It is better not to proceed at all than to proceed without purpose.” – Confucius
- “It is difficult to inspire others to accomplish what you haven’t been willing to try.” – Confucius
- “It is not the failure of others to appreciate your abilities that should trouble you, but rather your failure to appreciate theirs.” – Confucius
- “Keep it simple and focus on what matters. Don’t let yourself be overwhelmed.” – Confucius
- “Learn advidly. Question it repeatedly. Analyze it carefully. Then put what you have learned into practice intelligently.” – Confucius
- “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” – Confucius
- “Never contract friendship with a man that is not better than thyself.” – Confucius
- “Never do to others what you would not like them to do to you.” – Confucius
- “No matter how busy you may think you are you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance.” – Confucius
- “Of course you want to be rich and famous. It’s natural. Wealth and fame are what every man desires. The question is: What are you willing to trade for it?” – Confucius
- “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Confucius
- “Please stop waiting for a better and more appropriate time to become happy and focus on the moment you live in. Happiness is not an arrival, it is the journey itself. Many people seek for happiness above the height of human beings, some below. Yet, happiness is exactly at the exact height of human beings.” – Confucius
- “Remember, no matter where you go, there you are.” – Confucius
- “Respect yourself and others will respect you.” – Confucius
- “Speak the truth, do not yield to anger; give, if thou art asked for little; by these three steps thou wilt go near the gods.” – Confucius
- “Study the past, if you would divine the future.” – Confucius
- “Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.” – Confucius
- “The archer who misses his mark does not blame the target. He stops, corrects himself and shoots again.” – Confucius
- “The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra. The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me you don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step the man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” – Confucius
- “The essence of knowledge is, having it, to use it.” – Confucius
- “The expectations of life depend upon diligence; the mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools.” – Confucius
- “The gem cannot be polished without friction nor man without trials.” – Confucius
- “The journey with a 1000 miles begins with one step.” – Confucius
- “The man who asks a question is a fool for a minute, the man who does not ask is a fool for life.” – Confucius
- “The man who says he can, and the man who says he can’t are both correct.” – Confucius
- “The more man meditates upon good thoughts, the better will be his world and the world at large.” – Confucius
- “The one who was born a genius can’t win against the one who tries, and the one who tries can’t win against the one who enjoys.” – Confucius
- “The perfecting of one’s self is the fundamental base of all progress and all moral development.” – Confucius
- “The superior man acts before he speaks, and afterwards speaks according to his action.” – 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
- “The superior man, while his parents are alive, reverently nourishes them; and, when they are dead, reverently sacrifices to them. His thought to the end of his life is how not to disgrace them.” – Confucius
- “The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential… these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.” – Confucius
- “There are 1,000 lessons in defeat. But only one in victory.” – Confucius
- “There is one word which may serve as a rule of practice for all one’s life – reciprocity.” – Confucius
- “There is only one thing in life which never changes, and it is change.” – Confucius
- “These are the four abuses: desire to succeed in order to make oneself famous; taking credit for the labors of others; refusal to correct one’s errors despite advice; refusal to change one’s ideas despite warnings.” – Confucius
- “They must often change who would remain constant in happiness and wisdom.” – Confucius
- “Think of tomorrow, the past can’t be mended.” – Confucius
- “Those people who develop the ability to continuously acquire new and better forms of knowledge that they can apply to their work and to their lives will be the movers and shakers in our society for the indefinite future.” – Confucius
- “Those who cannot forgive others break the bridge over which they themselves must pass.” – Confucius
- “To be wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it.” – Confucius
- “To know what is right and not do it is the worst cowardice.” – Confucius
- “To know what you know and what you do not know, that is true knowledge.” – Confucius
- “To see and listen to the wicked is already the beginning of wickedness.” – Confucius
- “We are so busy doing the urgent that we don’t have time to do the important.” – Confucius
- “We have two lives, and the second begins when we realize we only have one.” – Confucius
- “We should feel sorrow, but not sink under its oppression.” – Confucius
- “What the superior man seeks is in himself; what the small man seeks is in others.” – Confucius
- “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.” – Confucius
- “When anger rises, think of the consequences.” – Confucius
- “When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.” – Confucius
- “When prosperity comes, do not use all of it.” – Confucius
- “When strict with oneself, one rarely fails.” – Confucius
- “When you are laboring for others let it be with the same zeal as if it were for yourself.” – Confucius
- “When you have faults, do not fear to abandon them.” – Confucius
- “Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” – Confucius
- “Worry not that no one knows you; seek to be worth knowing.” – Confucius
- “You are what you think.” – Confucius
- “You cannot open a book without learning something.” – Confucius
- “Your life is what your thoughts make it.” – Confucius
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