Eastern Wisdom | 70 Famous Confucius Quotes
The Chinese philosopher known as Confucius (Latinized version of “K’ung fu-tzü”, which means Master K’ung – his family name) was born about 551 BC in the Kingdom of Lu (today Shandong or Shantung Province). A westerner might wonder why a Chinese man that lived sixteen centuries ago still remains relevant today, however there is an immense volumes of scripts and analyses to read about him that could clear that out. Even if his ideas partly reflect the times he lived in, they are mostly timeless and universal.
According to his own writings, at age 15 he decided to educate himself, managing to be considered the most erudite person of his time. He lived to the age of 72 and before he died, he summarized his life and his love of learning saying:
At fifteen I set my heart on learning; at thirty I was firmly established; at forty I had no more doubts; at fifty I knew the will of heaven; at sixty I was willing to listen to it; at seventy I could follow my heart’s desire without transgressing what is right.
This collection of famous quotes by him is the gist of his work.
Table of Contents
- Inspirational Famous Quotes by Confucius
- Confucius’ Life Quotes
- Confucius’ Education Quotes
- Confucius’ Love Quotes
- Confucius’ Family Quotes
- Confucius Quotes on Images
Inspirational Famous Quotes by Confucius
- Never give a sword to a man who can’t dance. Confucius
- If you make a mistake and do not correct it, this is called a mistake. Confucius
- Wherever you go, go with all your heart. Confucius
- The funniest people are the saddest ones. Confucius
- It is more shameful to distrust our friends than to be deceived by them. Confucius
- Study the past if you would define the future. Confucius
- To be wronged is nothing, unless you continue to remember it. Confucius
- To see what is right and not do it is the worst cowardice. Confucius
- I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand. Confucius
- Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without. Confucius
- It is not the failure of others to appreciate your abilities that should trouble you, but rather your failure to appreciate theirs. Confucius
- Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change. Confucius
- The hardest thing of all is to find a black cat in a dark room, especially if there is no cat. Confucius
- And remember, no matter where you go, there you are. Confucius
- When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps. Confucius
- A lion chased me up a tree, and I greatly enjoyed the view from the top. Confucius
Confucius’ Life Quotes
- In a country well governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a country badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamed of. Confucius
- Have no friends not equal to yourself. Confucius
- It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop. Confucius
- To be wealthy and honored in an unjust society is a disgrace. Confucius
- Settle one difficulty, and you keep a hundred away. 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 superior man thinks always of virtue; the common man thinks of comfort. Confucius
- If I understand Change, I shall make no great mistake in Life. Confucius
- Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles. Confucius
- Don’t complain about the snow on your neighbor’s roof when your own doorstep is unclean. Confucius
- The superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions. Confucius
- The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones. Confucius
- Time flows away like the water in the river. Confucius
- The man who says he can, and the man who says he can not… are both correct. Confucius
- The man of wisdom is never of two minds;
the man of benevolence never worries;
the man of courage is never afraid.
Confucius - The way out is through the door. Why is it that no one will use this method? Confucius
- Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it. Confucius
- A common man marvels at uncommon things. A wise man marvels at the commonplace. Confucius
- The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials. Confucius
- When a wise man points at the moon, the imbecile examines the finger. Confucius
- Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated. Confucius
Confucius’ Education Quotes
- Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous. Confucius
- 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. Confucius
- Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace. Confucius
- 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
- If your plan is for one year, plant rice. If your plan is for ten years, plant trees. If your plan is for one hundred years, educate children. Confucius
- A true gentleman is one who has set his heart upon the Way. A fellow who is ashamed merely of shabby clothing or modest meals is not even worth conversing with. Confucius
- Without knowing the force of words, it is impossible to know more. Confucius
- A true teacher is one who, keeping the past alive, is also able to understand the present. Confucius
- Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance. Confucius
- You cannot open a book without learning something. Confucius
- But the knowledge being possessed, it comes to the same thing. Confucius
- Some study with a natural ease, some from a desire for advantages, and some by strenuous effort. Confucius
- But the achievement being made, it comes to the same thing. Confucius
- Some are born with knowledge, some derive it from study, and some acquire it only after a painful realization of their ignorance. Confucius
- Give a bowl of rice to a man and you will feed him for a day. Teach him how to grow his own rice and you will save his life. Confucius
- The demands that good people make are upon themselves;Those that bad people make are upon others. Confucius
- The nobler sort of man emphasizes the good qualities in others, and does not accentuate the bad. The inferior does. Confucius
- The noble-minded are calm and steady. Little people are forever fussing and fretting. Confucius
- By nature, men are nearly alike; by practice, they get to be wide apart. Confucius
- Worry not that no one knows you; seek to be worth knowing. Confucius
- The way of the superior person is threefold; virtuous, they are free from anxieties; wise they are free from perplexities; and bold they are free from fear. Confucius
- Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes. Confucius
Confucius’ Love Quotes
- It is easy to hate and it is difficult to love. This is how the whole scheme of things works. All good things are difficult to achieve; and bad things are very easy to get. Confucius
- Consideration for others is the basis of a good life, a good society. Confucius
- Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves. Confucius
- If your conduct is determined solely by considerations of profit, you will arouse great resentment. Confucius
- Those who know the truth are not equal to those who love it. 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
- Attack the evil that is within yourself, rather than attacking the evil that is in others. Confucius
Confucius’ Family Quotes
- The strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the home. Confucius
- To put the world in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order; to put the family in order; we must first cultivate our personal life; we must first set our hearts right. Confucius
- What you do not wish for yourself, do not do to others. Confucius
- It is not possible for one to teach others who cannot teach his own family. Confucius
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