Confucius Quotes - Page 23

• The gentleman holds justice to be of highest importance. If a gentleman has courage but neglects justice, he becomes insurgent. If an inferior man has courage but neglects justice, he becomes a thief.

  Confucius

  Courage, Men, Justice

  14 Copy quote

• Not to alter one's faults is to be faulty indeed.

  Confucius

  Inspirational, Faults

  Confucius (1950). “The Best of Confucius”

  6 Copy quote

• From the Son of Heaven down to the mass of the people, all must consider the cultivation of the person the root of everything besides.

  Confucius

  Son, Roots, People

  Confucius (2013). “Confucian Analects, The Great Learning & The Doctrine of the Mean”, p.359, Courier Corporation

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• A gentleman does not promote a man on account of what he says; nor does he reject sayings, because the speaker is what he is.

  Confucius

  Men, Gentleman, Doe

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• The Master said, 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 righ.

  Confucius

  Heart, Feet, Heaven

  Confucius, Arthur Waley (1949). “The Analects of Confucius”, Routledge

  20 Copy quote

• The failure to cultivate virtue, the failure to examine and analyze what I have learned, the inability to move toward righteousness after being shown the way, the inability to correct my faults-these are the causes of my grief.

  Confucius

  Grief, Moving, Growth

  Confucius (1907). “The Sayings of Confucius”

  25 Copy quote

• If the people are governed by laws and punishment is used to maintain order, they will try to avoid the punishment but have no sense of shame. If they are governed by virtue and rules of propriety are used to maintain order, they will have a sense of shame and will become good as well.

  Confucius

  Order, Law, Punishment

  24 Copy quote

• Among the appliances to transform the people, sound and appearances are but trivial influences.

  Confucius

  People, Sound, Influence

  Confucius, Mencius, Ssǔ shu, Wu king, Shu Ching (1861). “The Chinese Classics”, p.297

  8 Copy quote

• Justice is like the north star, which is fixed, and all the rest revolve about it.

  Confucius

  Stars, Justice, Fixed

  18 Copy quote

• Heaven sends down its good and evil symbols and wise men act accordingly.

  Confucius

  Wise, Men, Astrology

  9 Copy quote

• Every man knows the smell of his own fart.

  Confucius

  Men, Smell, Fart

  22 Copy quote

• If what one has to say is not better than silence, then one should keep silent.

  Confucius

  Spiritual, Silence, Silent

  7 Copy quote

• Look closely into his aims, observe the means by which he pursues them, discover what brings him content - and can the man's real worth remain hidden from you?

  Confucius

  Real, Mean, Men

  Confucius (1964). “The Analects of Confucius”

  18 Copy quote

• Virtue is not left to stand alone. He who practices it will have neighbors.

  Confucius

  Wise, Philosophical, Practice

  Confucius “The Analects”, W. W. Norton & Company

  60 Copy quote

• I am not bothered by the fact that I am not understood. I am bothered when I do not know others.

  Confucius

  Spiritual, Facts, Bothered

  "The Analects". Book by Confucius,

  60 Copy quote

• Benevolence is the characteristic element of humanity.

  Confucius

  Humanity, Elements, Characteristics

  Confucius, Mencius (1861). “The Chinese Classics”, p.269

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• Without an acquaintance with the rules of propriety, it is impossible for the character to be established

  Confucius

  Life, Success, Wise

  Confucius (2005). “The Ethics of Confucius”, p.99, Cosimo, Inc.

  34 Copy quote

• The person who is not strong enough gives up at the halfway point - but you are limiting yourself before even starting.

  Confucius

  Strong, Giving Up, Enough

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• If you devote your life to seeking revenge, first dig two graves.

  Confucius

  Life, Revenge, Two

  17 Copy quote

• When you breathe, you inspire, and when you do not breathe, you expire.

  Confucius

  Inspire, Breathe

  8 Copy quote

• It cannot be when the root is neglected that what springs from it will be well ordered.

  Confucius

  Love, Inspirational, Funny

  James Legge, Confucius, Mencius, Shih ching (1867). “The Chinese Classics: The life and works of Mencius”, p.267

  19 Copy quote

• To give oneself ernestly to securing righteousness and justice among the people, and while respecting the gods and demons, to keep aloof from them, that may be called wisdom.

  Confucius

  People, Giving, Justice

  4 Copy quote

• When there are duties to perform [true] servants and sons serve their labors.

  Confucius

  Son, Chinese, Duty

  11 Copy quote

• The gentleman prefers to be slow in word but diligent in action.

  Confucius

  Gentleman, Action, Diligent

  8 Copy quote

• The Master said, The case is like that of someone raising a mound. If he stops working, the fact that it perhaps needed only one more basketful makes no difference; I stay where I am. Whereas even if he has not got beyond leveling the ground, but is still at work, the fact that he has only tilted one basketful of earth makes no difference. I go to help him.

  Confucius

  Differences, Earth, Facts

  11 Copy quote

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