Confucius Quotes

Faithfulness and sincerity are the highest things.

Men do not stumble over mountains, but over molehills

多聞闕疑，慎言其餘，則寡尤。多見闕殆，慎行其餘，則寡悔。言寡無，行寡悔，祿在其中矣。

He who searches for evil, must first look at his own reflection.

The Master said, Study as though you could never catch up, [and if you did,] you would still be fearful of losing it.

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

Who can (make) the muddy water (clear)? Let it be still, and it will gradually become clear.

Lord Chi Wen thought three times before taking any action. When the Master heard this, he said: Twice is plenty enough.

Language is insight itself.

"Tzu Chang asked Confucius about jen. Confucius said, "If you can practice these five things with all the people, you can be called jen."

Tzu Chang asked what they were.

Confucius said, "Courtesy, generosity, honesty, persistence, and kindness.
If you are courteous, you will not be disrespected;
if you are generous, you will gain everything.
If you are honest, people will rely on you.
If you are persistent you will get results.
If you are kind, you can employ people.

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.

吾十有五而志於學，三十而立，四十而不惑，五十而知天命，六十而耳順，七十而从心所欲，不逾矩。

The administration of government lies in getting proper men. Such men are to be got by means of the ruler's own character. That character is to be cultivated by his treading in the ways of duty. And the treading those ways of duty is to be cultivated by the cherishing of benevolence.

If you expect great things of yourself and demand little of others, you’ll keep resentment far away.

كيف يمكن أن نؤدي واجبنا نحو أرواح الموتى قبل أن نتمكن من أدائه نحو الأحياء