“Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change.”
Source: The Analects
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Famous Confucius Quotes
Source: The Ethics of Confucius
“The superior man acts before he speaks, and afterwards speaks according to his action.”
Source: Confucian Analects, The Great Learning & The Doctrine of the Mean
“Never contract friendship with a man that is not better than thyself.”
“The superior man thinks always of virtue; the common man thinks of comfort.”
“The superior man makes the difficulty to be overcome his first interest; success only comes later.”
“The object of the superior man is truth.”
Source: The Ethics of Confucius
“If a man be under the influence of anger his conduct will not be correct.”
Source: Delphi Collected Works of Confucius - Four Books and Five Classics of Confucianism (Illustrated)
“A good man will certainly also possess courage; but a brave man is not necessarily good.”
Source: The Analects
“A man who has committed a mistake and does not correct it is committing another mistake.”
Source: The wisdom of Confucius
“If a man sets his heart on benevolence he will be free from evil.”
Source: Lunyu
“Of all that Heaven produces and nourishes, there is none so great as man.”
Source: The Ethics of Confucius
“Man is born with uprightness. If one loses it, he will be lucky if he escapes with his life.”
“The end of the day is near when small men make long shadows.”
“The superior man, when resting in safety, does not forget that danger may come.”
Source: The Sacred Books of China: The Texts of Confucianism
Source: The Chinese Classics
Source: The Chinese Classics: The life and works of Mencius
Source: Delphi Collected Works of Confucius - Four Books and Five Classics of Confucianism (Illustrated)
Source: Delphi Collected Works of Confucius - Four Books and Five Classics of Confucianism (Illustrated)
Source: Delphi Collected Works of Confucius - Four Books and Five Classics of Confucianism (Illustrated)
Source: The Chinese Classics
“The virtuous man is driven by responsibility, the non-virtuous man is driven by profit.”
Source: The Chinese Classics
“Grieve not that men do not know you; grieve that you do not know men.”
Source: Lun Yü
Source: The Analects of Confucius
Source: The Analects
“Men of principle are sure to be bold, but those who are bold may not always be men of principle.”
Source: The Analects
Source: The Analects of Confucius
Source: The Confucian Analects, the Great Learning & the Doctrine of the Mean
Source: The wisdom of Confucius
Source: The Analects of Confucius
“The superior man is distressed by his want (lack) of ability”
“The superior man is slow in his words and earnest in his conduct.”
Source: The Ethics of Confucius
“A great man is hard on himself; a small man is hard on others.”