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

Book by Confucius · 10 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
Book:Delphi Collected Works of Confucius - Four Books and Five Classics of Confucianism (Illustrated)
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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
Book:Delphi Collected Works of Confucius - Four Books and Five Classics of Confucianism (Illustrated)
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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
Book:Delphi Collected Works of Confucius - Four Books and Five Classics of Confucianism (Illustrated)
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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
Book:Delphi Collected Works of Confucius - Four Books and Five Classics of Confucianism (Illustrated)
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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.”

MenDoeDesireWealthPoorPositionHonorLowsSuperiorsStationsSuperior Man
Book:Delphi Collected Works of Confucius - Four Books and Five Classics of Confucianism (Illustrated)
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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
Book:Delphi Collected Works of Confucius - Four Books and Five Classics of Confucianism (Illustrated)
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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.”

MenWayFirstsMaySpaceDistanceSuperiorsHeightSuperior ManAscendingTraverse
Book:Delphi Collected Works of Confucius - Four Books and Five Classics of Confucianism (Illustrated)
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