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Delphi Collected Works of Confucius - Four Books and Five Classics of Confucianism (Illustrated)

Book by Confucius · 26 quotes · Men, Superior Man, Superiors

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Delphi Collected Works of Confucius - Four Books and Five Classics of Confucianism (Illustrated) Quotes

“From the loving example of one family a whole State may become loving, and from its courtesies, courteous; while from the ambition and perverseness of the one man the whole State may be thrown into rebellious disorder. Such is the nature of influence.”

MenMayStatesWholeInfluenceExampleAmbitionThrownOne ManDisorderCourtesyRebelliousCourteousPerverseness
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“In dealing with the dead, if we treat them as if they were entirely dead, that would show a want of affection and should not be done; or, if we treat them as if they were entirely alive, that would show a want of wisdom and should not be done.”

IfsWantShouldDoneShowsAliveTreatsAffection
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“Things being investigated, knowledge became complete. Their knowledge being complete, their thoughts were sincere. Their thoughts being sincere, their hearts were then rectified. Their hearts being rectified, their persons were cultivated. Their persons being cultivated, their families were regulated. Their families being regulated, their States were rightly governed. Their States being rightly governed, the whole kingdom was made tranquil and happy.”

HeartPersonsMadeStatesWholeKingdomsSincereTranquilBeing Sincere
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“Let the states of equilibrium and harmony exist in perfection, and a happy order will prevail throughout heaven and earth, and all things will be nourished and flourish.”

StatesEarthReligionOrderHeavenEnvironmentAll ThingsPerfectionHarmonyEnvironmentalEquilibriumHeaven And Earth
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“Earnest in practicing the ordinary virtues, and careful in speaking about them, if, in his practice, he has anything defective, the superior man dares not but exert himself; and if, in his words, he has any excess, he dares not allow himself such license.”

IfsMenCharacterPracticeVirtueOrdinaryCarefulDareSuperiorsExcessEarnestLicenseDefectiveSuperior ManConfucianism
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“Great as heaven and earth are, men still find some things in them with which to be dissatisfied. Thus it is that, were the superior man to speak of his way in all its greatness, nothing in the world would be found able to embrace it, and were he to speak of it in its minuteness, nothing in the world would be found able to split it.”

MenWorldWayStillsCharacterWould BeAbleEarthFoundSpeakHeavenGreatnessEmbraceSuperiorsSplitsHeaven And EarthDissatisfiedSuperior ManConfucianism
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“In archery we have something like the way of the superior man. When the archer misses the center of the target, he turns round and seeks for the cause of his failure in himself.”

MenWayCharacterTurnsCausesMissingRoundsSuperiorsTargetArcherSuperior ManConfucianismArchery
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“The superior man does what is proper to the station in which he is; he does not desire to go beyond this. In a position of wealth and honor, he does what is proper to a position of wealth and honor. In a poor and low position, he does what is proper to a poor and low position.”

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“The superior man honors his virtuous nature, and maintains constant inquiry and study, seeking to carry it out to its breadth and greatness, so as to omit none of the more exquisite and minute points which it embraces, and to raise it to its greatest height and brilliancy.”

MenStudyMinutesGreatnessHonorRaisesEmbraceConstantSeekingSuperiorsHeightVirtuousInquiryExquisiteBreadthSuperior Man
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“The way of the superior man may be compared to what takes place in traveling, when to go to a distance we must first traverse the space that is near, and in ascending a height, when we must begin from the lower ground.”

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“All things are nourished together without their injuring one another. The courses of the seasons, and of the sun and moon, are pursued without any collision among them. The smaller energies are like river currents; the greater energies are seen in mighty transformations. It is this which makes heaven and earth so great.”

EarthTogetherCoursesEnergyHeavenSunGreaterInfluenceMoonAll ThingsRiversSeasonsTransformationCurrentsPursuedHeaven And EarthCollision
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