Timeless Wisdom: A Curated Collection of Inspirational Quotes from Confucius

"Good people strengthen themselves ceaselessly."

- Confucius

"Those who cannot forgive others break the bridge over which they themselves must pass."

- Confucius

"It is not possible for one to teach others who cannot teach his own family."

- Confucius

"Learn as though you would never be able to master it; hold it as though you would be in fear of losing it."

- Confucius

"The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential… these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence."

- Confucius

"If a man in the morning hear the right way, he may die in the evening without regret."

- Confucius

"Ignorance is the night of the mind, but a night without moon or star."

- Confucius

"If the gentleman is not serious, he will not be respected, and his learning will not be on a firm foundation. He considers loyalty and faithfulness to be fundamental, has no friends who are not like him, and when he has made mistakes, he is not afraid of correcting them."

- Confucius

"How transcendent is the virtue of the middle conduct! Rare for a long time has been its practice among the people."

- Confucius

"Forget injuries, never forget kindnesses."

- Confucius

"To lead uninstructed people to war is to throw them away."

- Confucius

"I'd rather die for speaking out, than to live and be silent."

- Confucius

"I have not seen a person who loved virtue, or one who hated what was not virtuous. He who loved virtue would esteem nothing above it."

- Confucius

"There is nothing more visible than what is secret, and nothing more manifest than what is minute."

- Confucius

"Words are the voice of the heart."

- Confucius

"What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others."

- Confucius

"Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change."

- Confucius

"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it."

- Confucius

"Wherever you go, go with all your heart."

- Confucius

"Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance."

- Confucius

"Silence is a true friend who never betrays."

- Confucius

"Study the past, if you would divine the future."

- Confucius

"When you see a worthy person, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy person, then examine your inner self."

- Confucius

"The essence of knowledge is, having it, to apply it; not having it, to confess your ignorance."

- Confucius

"Acquire new knowledge whilst thinking over the old, and you may become a teacher of others."

- Confucius

"When I walk along with two others, from at least one I will be able to learn."

- Confucius

"And remember, no matter where you go, there you are."

- Confucius

"To be wealthy and honored in an unjust society is a disgrace."

- Confucius

"Roads were made for journeys, not destinations."

- Confucius

"To go beyond is as wrong as to fall short."

- Confucius

"The way you cut your meat reflects the way you live."

- Confucius

"Desire to have things done quickly prevents their being done thoroughly."

- Confucius

"Three things cannot long be hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth."

- Confucius

"What you do not wish upon yourself, extend not to others."

- Confucius

"Learn as if you were not reaching your goal and as though you were scared of missing it."

- Confucius

"To understand yourself is the key to wisdom."

- Confucius

"Sincerity is the way of heaven."

- Confucius

"First there must be order and harmony within your own mind. Then this order will spread to your family, then to the community, and finally to your entire kingdom. Only then can you have peace and harmony."

- Confucius

"A lack of patience in trifling matters might lead to the disruption of great project."

- Confucius

"Straight-forwardness, without the rules of propriety, becomes rudeness."

- Confucius

"The true gentleman does not preach what he practices till he has practiced what he preaches."

- Confucius

"It is man that makes truth great, not truth that makes man great."

- Confucius

"Faithfulness and sincerity are the highest things."

- Confucius

"The journey with a 1000 miles begins with one step."

- Confucius

"Learn avidly. Question it repeatedly. Analyze it carefully. Then put what you have learned into practice intelligently."

- Confucius

"Base yourself in loyalty and trust. Don't be a companion with those who are not your moral equal. When you make a mistake, don't hesitate to correct it."

- Confucius

"Sincerity is that whereby self-completion is effected, and its way is that by which man must direct himself."

- Confucius

"One joy dispels a hundred cares."

- Confucius

"To love a thing means wanting it to live."

- Confucius

"If you try to do too much, you will not achieve anything."

- Confucius

"True goodness springs from a man's own heart. All men are born good."

- Confucius

"You can successfully force people to follow a certain course, but you cannot force them to understand it."

- Confucius

"The man who asks a question is a fool for a minute, the man who does not ask is a fool for life."

- Confucius

"The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones."

- Confucius

"The superior man is satisfied and composed; the mean man is always full of distress."

- Confucius

"Do not let a leader lead you on a bad path."

- Confucius

"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."

- Confucius

"You are what you think."

- Confucius

"He who conquers himself is the mightiest warrior."

- Confucius

"They must often change who would remain constant in happiness and wisdom."

- Confucius

"Knowing something is not as good as liking it. Liking something is not as good as rejoicing in it."

- Confucius

"Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes."

- Confucius

"I slept and dreamt life is beauty, I woke and found life is duty."

- Confucius

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

- Confucius

"When wealth is centralized, the people are dispersed. When wealth is distributed, the people are brought together."

- Confucius

"There are three degrees of filial piety. The highest is being a credit to our parents, the second is not disgracing them; the lowest is being able simply to support them."

- Confucius

"To be wronged is nothing, unless you continue to remember it."

- Confucius

"To be truly happy and contented, you must let go of what it means to be happy or content."

- Confucius

"Don’t complain about the snow on your neighbor’s roof when your own doorstep is unclean."

- Confucius

"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."

- Confucius

"If you make a mistake and do not correct it, this is called a mistake."

- Confucius

"A youth is to be regarded with respect. How do we know that his future will not be equal to our present?"

- Confucius

"When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps."

- Confucius

"Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace."

- Confucius

"Study without reflection is a waste of time; reflection without study is dangerous."

- Confucius

"I want you to be everything that’s you, deep at the center of your being."

- Confucius

"Have no friends not equal to yourself."

- Confucius

"By nature, men are nearly alike; by practice, they get to be wide apart."

- Confucius

"When the multitude detests a man, inquiry is necessary; when the multitude likes a man, inquiry is equally necessary."

- Confucius

"The people may be made to follow a path of action but they may not be made to understand it."

- Confucius

"The parents' age must be remembered, both for joy and anxiety."

- Confucius

"Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life."

- Confucius

"It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop."

- Confucius

"I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand."

- Confucius

"Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall."

- Confucius

"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."

- Confucius

"When anger rises, think of the consequences."

- Confucius

"To know what you know and what you do not know, that is true knowledge."

- Confucius

"Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without."

- Confucius

"Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous."

- Confucius

"You cannot open a book without learning something."

- Confucius

"To see the right and not to do it is cowardice."

- Confucius

"Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire."

- Confucius

"If you look into your own heart, and you find nothing wrong there, what is there to worry about? What is there to fear?"

- Confucius

"I hear, I know. I see, I remember. I do, I understand."

- Confucius

"The more man meditates upon good thoughts, the better will be his world and the world at large."

- Confucius

"A superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions."

- Confucius

"To see what is right and not to do it is want of courage, or of principle."

- Confucius

"He who speaks without modesty will find it difficult to make his words good."

- Confucius

"The expectations of life depend upon diligence; the mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools."

- Confucius

"Wisdom, compassion, and courage are the three universally recognized moral qualities of men."

- Confucius

"The object of the superior man is truth."

- Confucius

"To practice five things under all circumstances constitutes perfect virtue; these five are gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness."

- Confucius

"If I am walking with two other men, each of them will serve as my teacher. I will pick out the good points of the one and imitate them, and the bad points of the other and correct them in myself."

- Confucius

"To see and listen to the wicked is already the beginning of wickedness."

- Confucius

"We should feel sorrow, but not sink under its oppression."

- Confucius

"He who learns but does not think, is lost! He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger."

- Confucius

"The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential... these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence."

- Confucius

"Without feelings of respect, what is there to distinguish men from beasts?"

- Confucius

"Humility is the solid foundation of all virtues."

- Confucius

"The strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the home."

- Confucius

"The superior man acts before he speaks, and afterwards speaks according to his action."

- Confucius

"I will not be concerned at other men's not knowing me; I will be concerned at my own want of ability."

- Confucius

"In a country well governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a country badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamed of."

- Confucius

"A gentleman would be ashamed should his deeds not match his words."

- Confucius

"The superior man thinks always of virtue; the common man thinks of comfort."

- Confucius

"Never contract friendship with a man that is not better than thyself."

- Confucius

"They must often change, who would be constant in happiness or wisdom."

- Confucius

"When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps."

- Confucius

"Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without."

- Confucius

"Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure."

- Confucius

"Ah, music, sacred tongue of God! I hear thee calling and I come."

- Confucius

"If you think in terms of a year, plant a seed; if in terms of ten years, plant trees; if in terms of 100 years, teach the people."

- Confucius

"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."

- Confucius

"Can there be a love which does not make demands on its object?"

- Confucius

"Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated."

- Confucius

"Love is like a spice. It can sweeten your life - however, it can spoil it, too."

- Confucius

"A man of wisdom delights in water."

- Confucius

"Anyone can find the switch after the lights are on."

- Confucius

"A lion chased me up a tree, and I greatly enjoyed the view from the top."

- Confucius

"To be wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it."

- Confucius

"I want you to be everything that's you, deep at the center of your being."

- Confucius

"The cautious seldom err."

- Confucius

"If we don't know life, how can we know death?"

- Confucius

"The superior man understands what is right; the inferior man understands what will sell."

- Confucius

"It is more shameful to distrust our friends than to be deceived by them."

- Confucius

"Ability will never catch up with the demand for it."

- Confucius

"Heaven means to be one with God."

- Confucius

"Death and life have their determined appointments; riches and honors depend upon heaven."

- Confucius

"An oppressive government is more to be feared than a tiger."

- Confucius

"Never give a sword to a man who can't dance."

- Confucius

"Old age, believe me, is a good and pleasant thing. It is true you are gently shouldered off the stage, but then you are given such a comfortable front stall as spectator."

- Confucius