Confucius Quotes

I slept and dreamt life is beauty, I woke and found life is duty. Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change. Respect yourself and others will respect you. The man who says he can, and the man who says he can't are both correct. If your plan is for 1 year, plant rice. If your plan is for 10 years, plant trees. If your plan is 100 years, educate children. It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop. I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand. Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it. If you make a mistake and do not correct it, this is called a mistake. Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves. Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life. Silence is a true friend who never betrays. He who knows all the answers has not been asked all the questions. The funniest people are the saddest ones. You cannot open a book without learning something. 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. 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. Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated. To be wronged is nothing, unless you continue to remember it. Study the past if you would define the future. The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones. Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart. Attack the evil that is within yourself, rather than attacking the evil that is in others. Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without. The way out is through the door. Why is it that no one will use this method? It is not the failure of others to appreciate your abilities that should trouble you, but rather your failure to appreciate theirs. It is more shameful to distrust our friends than to be deceived by them And remember, no matter where you go, there you are. Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles. Forget injuries, never forget kindnesses. Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without. When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps. If what one has to say is not better than silence, then one should keep silent. Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance. The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials. 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. The hardest thing of all is to find a black cat in a dark room, especially if there is no cat. What the superior man seeks is in himself; what the small man seeks is in others. The man who asks a question is a fool for a minute, the man who does not ask is a fool for life. To be wealthy and honored in an unjust society is a disgrace. If your plan is for one year plant rice. If your plan is for ten years plant trees. If your plan is for one hundred years educate children. Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace. In a country well governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a country badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamed of. The superior man thinks always of virtue; the common man thinks of comfort. When a wise man points at the moon the imbecile examines the finger. Time flows away like the water in the river. The beginning of wisdom is to call things by their proper name. To see what is right and not do it is the worst cowardice. Don't do unto others what you don't want done unto you. We have two lives, and the second begins when we realize we only have one. A lion chased me up a tree, and I greatly enjoyed the view from the top. To put the world in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order; to put the family in order; we must first cultivate our personal life; we must first set our hearts right. Without knowing the force of words, it is impossible to know more. Learning without thought is labour lost; thought without learning is perilous. Have no friends not equal to yourself. The superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions. Never give a sword to a man who can't dance. Consideration for others is the basis of a good life, a good society. 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. Don’t complain about the snow on your neighbor’s roof when your own doorstep is unclean.

Confucius

551 BC - 479 BC