The superior man honors his virtuous nature, and maintains constant inquiry and study, seeking to carry it out to its breadth and greatness, so as to… - Confucius
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The superior man honors his virtuous nature, and maintains constant inquiry and study, seeking to carry it out to its breadth and greatness, so as to omit none of the more exquisite and minute points which it embraces, and to raise it to its greatest height and brilliancy, so as to pursue the course of the Mean. He cherishes his old knowledge, and is continually acquiring new. He exerts an honest, generous earnestness, in the esteem and practice of all propriety. Thus, when occupying a high situation he is not proud, and in a low situation he is not insubordinate. When the kingdom is well governed, he is sure by his words to rise; and when it is ill governed, he is sure by his silence to command forbearance to himself.
Confucius (traditionally 28 September 551 B.C. – 479 B.C.) was a Chinese social philosopher, whose teachings deeply influenced East Asian life and thought. "Confucius" is a latinization of the Chinese 孔夫子, Kong Fu Zi or K'ung-fu-tzu, literally "Master Kong", but he is usually referred to in China with a simpler version of this honorific as 孔子, Kongzi, or Kǒng Zǐ.
Biography information from
Wikiquote·
Portrait adapted from
Wikimedia Commons, Anonymous Chinese painter of the Western Han period (Public domain / CC0)
Also Known As
Native Name:
孔夫子
Alternative Names:
Confucio
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Konfuzius
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Cheu-kong
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Chung-ni
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Cong-tse
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K'ung Chung-ni
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K'ung Fu-tse
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K'ung-fu-tzu
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K'ung-tzu
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Kong Fu Zi
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Kong Fuzi
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Kong Qiu
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Kong Zhongni
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Kongfuzi
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Kongqiu
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Kongzi
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Kung Chung-ni
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Kung Fu Tzu
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Kung Fu-tse
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Kungfutse
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Zhongni
Let the superior man never fail reverentially to order his own conduct, and let him be respectful to others and observant of propriety:—then all within the four seas, all men are brothers. What has the superior man to do with being distressed because he has no brothers?
Let a ruler base his government upon virtuous principles, and he will be like the pole-star, which remains steadfast in its place, while all the host of stars turn towards it
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