Quotes from Confucius

Men's natures are alike; it is their habits that separate them.

The superior man, in the world, does not set his mind either for anything, or against anything; what is right he will follow.

To see what's right and not do it is cowardice.

When you make a promise consistent with what is right, you can keep your word. When you show respect consistent with good taste, you keep shame and disgrace at a distance. When he in whom you confide is one who does not fail his friends, you may trust him fully.

Se regarder scrupuleusement soi-même, ne regarder que discrètement les autres.

Knowing it does not compare with loving it; loving it does not compare with delighting in it.

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.

What you don´t want done to yourself, do not do to others.

Sincerity is the end and beginning of things; without sincerity there would be nothing.

There are few men under heaven who can love and see the defects, or hate and see the excellence of an object.

I daily examine myself on three points:— whether, in transacting business for others, I may have been not faithful;— whether, in intercourse with friends, I may have been not sincere;— whether I may have not mastered and practised the instructions of my teacher.

The Master was entirely free of four faults: arbitrariness, inflexibility, rigidity, and selfishness.

The cock, that is the trumpet to the morn, Doth with his lofty and shrill-sounding throat Awake the god of day; and, at his warning, Whether in sea or fire, in earth or air, The extravagant and erring spirit hies To his confine: and of the truth herein This present object made probation.

The Master said, 'Can men refuse to assent to the words of strict admonition? But it is reforming the conduct because of them which is valuable. Can men refuse to be pleased with words of gentle advice? But it is unfolding their aim which is valuable. If a man be pleased with these words, but does not unfold their aim, and assents to those, but does not reform his conduct, I can really do nothing with him.

No matter how busy you think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance.

Those who understand a thing are not equal to those who are fond of it, and those who are fond of it are not equal to those who delight in it.

Tzu-chang[21] asked whether we can know what is to be ten generations hence. The Master said, The Yin[22] took over the manners of the Hsia; the harm and the good that they did them can be known. The Chou took over the manners of the Yin; the harm and the good that they did them can be known. And we may know what shall be, even an hundred generations hence, whoever follows Chou.

If the people be led by laws, and uniformity sought to be given them by punishments, they will try to avoid the punishment, but have no sense of shame. 2. 'If they be led by virtue, and uniformity sought to be given them by the rules of propriety, they will have the sense of shame, and moreover will become good.

He has not lived in vain who dies the day he is told about the Way

Exige beaucoup de toi-même et attend peu des autres. Beaucoup d'ennuis te seront épargnés.

?????? 'while respecting spiritual beings, to keep aloof from them

Wishing to regulate their families, they first cultivated their persons. Wishing to cultivate their persons, they first rectified their hearts. Wishing to rectify their hearts, they first sought to be sincere in their thoughts. Wishing to be sincere in their thoughts, they first extended to the utmost their knowledge.

Wishing to regulate their families, they first cultivated their persons. Wishing to cultivate their persons, they first rectified their hearts. Wishing to rectify their hearts, they first sought to be sincere in their thoughts. Wishing to be sincere in their thoughts, they first extended to the utmost their knowledge. Such extension of knowledge lay in the investigation of things.

I do not open up the truth to one who is not eager to get knowledge, nor help out anyone who is not anxious to explain himself. When I have presented one corner of a subject to anyone, and he cannot from it learn the other three, I do not repeat my lesson.