The words of Confucius ring true even today. Read famous quotes from the ancient Chinese philosopher for inspiration or to share with friends. Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire. Confucius · The expectations of life depend upon diligence; the mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools. Confucius · To be wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it.
Confucius Quotes: Among these quotations from Confucius are some of the most memorable. “You are what you believe” and “Choose a profession you love, and you’ll never have to work a day in your life” are two of the most well-known sayings in the world. If so, you’ve probably heard of Confucius even if you didn’t know it. In the early sixth century BCE, the Chinese philosopher the name Confucius rose to prominence in China. Several people still look to him for direction, despite the fact that he lived many centuries ago. This is due to the collection of thought-provoking and inspirational remarks he left behind. You may learn more about Confucius and why he’s so revered by reading the Confucius quotations and sayings that we’ve compiled.
These words of wisdom may be applied to so many different circumstances, which is why they’re still so popular today. So the next time you’re in need of some inspiration, some motivation, or simply some guidance in a situation, check if one of these Confucius quotes and sayings may help you out. There is a lot to learn from Confucius when it comes to how to spend your life. Confucius was a Chinese philosopher who lived from 550 BC to 479 BC. He had a lot of great advice to give. He was an expert in both the good and the terrible, and how to traverse the ambiguous spaces in-between. His comments are still relevant today, which is why I’ve put together this collection of his most poignant and enlightening sayings. Use these quotes from Confucius as guidance for your own life.
#1. “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” — Confucius
#2. “What you do not wish upon yourself, extend not to others.” — Confucius
#3. “Ignorance is the night of the mind, but a night without moon and star.” — Confucius
#4. “If you try to do too much, you will not achieve anything.” — Confucius
#5. “By nature, men are nearly alike; by practice, they get to be wide apart.” — Confucius
#6. “To lead uninstructed people to war is to throw them away.” — Confucius
#7. “To be wealthy and honored in an unjust society is a disgrace.” — Confucius
Best Confucius Quotes
#8. “Knowing something is not as good as liking it. Liking something is not as good as rejoicing in it.” — Confucius
#9. “Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace.” — Confucius
#10. “The man who asks a question is a fool for a minute, the man who does not ask is a fool for life.” — Confucius
#11. “The way out is through the door. Why is it that no one will use this method?” — Confucius
#12. “Forget injuries, never forget kindnesses.” — Confucius
#13. “He who conquers himself is the mightiest warrior.” — Confucius
#14. “One joy dispels a hundred cares.” — Confucius
#15. “First there must be order and harmony within your own mind. Then this order will spread to your family, then to the community, and finally to your entire kingdom. Only then can you have peace and harmony.” — Confucius
#16. “To see what is right, and not to do it, is want of courage or of principle.” — Confucius
#17. “And remember, no matter where you go, there you are.” — Confucius
#18. “The expectations of life depend upon diligence; the mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools.” — Confucius
#19. “The superior man understands what is right; the inferior man understands what will sell.” — Confucius
#20. “Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes.” — Confucius
Inspirational Quotes By Confucius
#21. “Good people strengthen themselves ceaselessly.” — Confucius
#22. “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” — Confucius
#23. “Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous.” — Confucius
#24. “To know what you know and what you do not know, that is true knowledge.” — Confucius
#25. “Virtue is not left to stand alone. He who practices it will have neighbors.” — Confucius
#26. “Never give a sword to a man who can’t dance.” — Confucius
#27. “Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without.” — Confucius
#28. “Three things cannot long be hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.” — Confucius
#29. “Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.” — Confucius
#30. “If you make a mistake and do not correct it, this is called a mistake.” — Confucius
#31. “When we see men of a contrary character, we should turn inwards and examine ourselves.” — Confucius
#32. “If I am walking with two other men, each of them will serve as my teacher. I will pick out the good points of one and imitate them, and the bad points of the other and correct them in myself.” — Confucius
#33. “Do not let a leader lead you on a bad path.” — Confucius
#34. “Learn as if you were not reaching your goal and as though you were scared of missing it.” — Confucius
#35. “It is man that makes truth great, not truth that makes man great.” — Confucius
#36. “When anger rises, think of the consequences.” — Confucius
#37. “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
#38. “The true gentleman does not preach what he practices till he has practiced what he preaches.” — Confucius
#39. “Ah, music, sacred tongue of God! I hear the calling and I come.” — Confucius
#40. “A youth is to be regarded with respect. How do we know that his future will not be equal to our present?” — Confucius
#41. “No matter how busy you think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance.” — Confucius
#42. “What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.” — Confucius
#43. “Study the past, if you would divine the future.” — Confucius
#44. “A lack of patience in trifling matters might lead to the disruption of a great project.” — Confucius
Short Confucius Quotes
#45. “Have no friends not equal to yourself.” — Confucius
#46. “I slept and dreamt life is beauty, I woke and found life is duty.” — Confucius
#47. “Don’t complain about the snow on your neighbor’s roof when your own doorstep is unclean.” — Confucius
#48. “To see the right and not to do it is cowardice.” — Confucius
#49. “The funniest people are the saddest ones. – Confucius” — Confucius
#50. “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” — Confucius
#51. “He who speaks without modesty will find it difficult to make his words good.” — Confucius
#52. “The object of the superior man is truth.” — Confucius
#53. “To go beyond is as wrong as to fall short.” — Confucius
#54. “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
#55. “To practice five things under all circumstances constitutes perfect virtue; these five are gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness.” — Confucius
#56. “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
#57. “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
#58. “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” — Confucius
#59. “Desire to have things done quickly prevents their being done thoroughly.” — Confucius
#60. “When you know a thing, to hold that you know it, and when you do not know a thing, to allow that you do not know it – this is knowledge.” — Confucius
#61. “True goodness springs from a man’s own heart. All men are born good.” — Confucius
#62. “He who will not economize will have to agonize.” — Confucius
#63. “Faithfulness and sincerity are the highest things.” — Confucius
#64. “Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.” — Confucius
#65. “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
#66. “Love is like a spice. It can sweeten your life – however, it can spoil it, too.” — Confucius
#67. “Silence is a true friend who never betrays.” — Confucius
#68. “Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire.” — Confucius
#69. “Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance.” — Confucius
#70. “Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without. – Confucius” — Confucius
#71. “Attack the evil that is within yourself, rather than attacking the evil that is in others.” — Confucius
The Most Famous Confucius Quotes
#72. “Words are the voice of the heart.” — Confucius
#73. “He who knows all the answers has not been asked all the questions.” — Confucius
#74. “Sincerity is that whereby self-completion is effected, and its way is that by which man must direct himself.” — Confucius
#75. “Wisdom, compassion, and courage are the three universally recognized moral qualities of men.” — Confucius
#76. “The parents’ age must be remembered, both for joy and anxiety.” — Confucius
#77. “Sincerity is the way of heaven.” — Confucius
#78. “The strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the home.” — Confucius
#79. “You can successfully force people to follow a certain course, but you cannot force them to understand it.” — Confucius
#80. “We should feel sorrow, but not sink under its oppression.” — Confucius
#81. “Study without reflection is a waste of time; reflection without study is dangerous.” — Confucius
#82. “The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” — Confucius
#83. “Without feelings of respect, what is there to distinguish men from beasts?” — Confucius
#84. “The hardest thing of all is to find a black cat in a dark room, especially if there is no cat.” — Confucius
#85. “If you think in terms of a year, plant a seed, if in terms of ten years, plant trees, if in terms of 100 years, teach the people.” — Confucius
#86. “The more a man meditates upon good thoughts, the better will be his world and the world at large.” — Confucius
#87. “Can there be a love which does not make demands on its object?” — Confucius
#88. “You cannot open a book without learning something.” — Confucius
#89. “When the multitude detests a man, inquiry is necessary; when the multitude likes a man, inquiry is equally necessary.” — Confucius
#90. “I hear and I forget, I see and I remember, I do and I understand.” — Confucius
#91. “Never contract friendship with a man that is not better than thyself.” — Confucius
#92. “Study the past if you would define the future.” — Confucius
#93. “To love a thing means wanting it to live.” — Confucius
#94. “They must often change, who would be constant in happiness or wisdom.” — Confucius
#95. “Faced with what is right, to leave it undone shows a lack of courage.” — Confucius
#96. “The superior man is satisfied and composed; the mean man is always full of distress.” — Confucius
#97. “Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation, there is sure to be failure.” — Confucius
#98. “Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change.” — Confucius
#99. “A superior man is modest in his speech but exceeds in his actions.” — Confucius
#100. “I want you to be everything that’s you, deep at the center of your being.” — Confucius
#101. “If the gentleman is not serious, he will not be respected, and his learning will not be on a firm foundation. He considers loyalty and faithfulness to be fundamental, has no friends who are not like him, and when he has made mistakes, he is not afraid of correcting them.” — Confucius
#102. “To be wronged is nothing, unless you continue to remember it.” — Confucius
#103. “A lion chased me up a tree, and I greatly enjoyed the view from the top.” — Confucius
Deep Confucius Quotes & Confucius Sayings
#104. “Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” — Confucius
#105. “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
#106. “Humility is the solid foundation of all virtues.” — Confucius
#107. “He with whom neither slander that gradually soaks into the mind, nor statements that startle like a wound in the flesh, are successful may be called intelligent indeed.” — Confucius
#108. “Learn as though you would never be able to master it; hold it as though you would be in fear of losing it.” — Confucius
#109. “What the superior man seeks is in himself; what the small man seeks is in others.” — Confucius
#110. “Roads were made for journeys, not destinations.” — Confucius
#111. “The journey of 1000 miles begins with one step.” — Confucius
#112. “There are three degrees of filial piety. The highest is being a credit to our parents, the second is not disgracing them; the lowest is being able simply to support them.” — Confucius
#113. “You are what you think.” — Confucius
#114. “Respect yourself and others will respect you.” — Confucius
#115. “Anyone can find the switch after the lights are on.” — Confucius
#116. “Straight-forwardness, without the rules of propriety, becomes rudeness.” — Confucius
#117. “I have not seen a person who loved virtue, or one who hated what was not virtuous. He who loved virtue would esteem nothing above it.” — Confucius
#118. “To be truly happy and content, you must let go of what it means to be happy or content.” — Confucius
#119. “The way you cut your meat reflects the way you live.” — Confucius
#120. “To understand yourself is the key to wisdom.” — Confucius
#121. “Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles.” — Confucius
