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Quotations By Confucius


Beliefs
I hear and I forget. I see and I believe. I do and I understand.

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

Cowardice
To know what is right and not do it is the worst cowardice.

Destiny
Death and life have their determined appointments; riches and honours depend upon heaven.

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

Economy
He who will not economize will have to agonize.

Equality
When you meet someone better than yourself, turn your thoughts to becoming his equal. When you meet someone not as good as you are, look within and examine your own self.

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

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

Friendship
Never contract friendship with a man that is not better than thyself. -- Confucius

Heaven
Heaven means to be one with God.

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

Inspiration
Our greatest glory consists not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.

Labor
When you are laboring for others let it be with the same zeal as if it were for yourself.

Learning
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.

Progress
The perfecting of one's self is the fundamental base of all progress and all moral development. -- Confucius

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

Virtue
Virtue is not left to stand alone. He who practices it will have neighbors. -- Confucius

Virtue
The superior man thinks always of virtue; the common man thinks of comfort. -- Confucius

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

Weakness
To see what is right and not to do it is want of courage.

Wickedness
To see and listen to the wicked is already the beginning of wickedness. -- Confucius