Confucius

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

“The gem cannot be polished without friction, nor man perfected without trials.”

“He who knows all the answers has not been asked all the questions.”

“Have no friends not equal to yourself.”

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

“What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.”

“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.”

“Give a bowl of rice to a man and you will feed him for a day. Teach him how to grow his own rice and you will save his life.”

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

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

“No lake so still but it has its wave. No circle so perfect but that it has its blur. I would change things for you if I could; As I can't you must take them as they are.”

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

“Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart.”

“The grass must bend when the wind blows across it.”

“The superior man makes the difficulty to be overcome his first interest; success comes only later.”

“The way of a superior man is threefold: Virtuous, he is free from anxieties; wise, he is free from perplexities; bold, he is free from fear.”

“The man of wisdom is never of two minds; the man of benevolence never worries; the man of courage is never afraid.”

“Virtue is not left to stand alone. He who practices it will have neighbors.”

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

“If names be not correct, language is not in accordance with the truth of things.”

“The Master said, “A true teacher is one who, keeping the past alive, is also able to understand the present.” (Analects 2.11)”

“The Master said, “What a worthy man was Yan Hui! Living in a narrow alley, subsisting upon meager bits of rice and water—other people could not have borne such hardship, and yet it never spoiled Hui’s joy. What a worthy man was Hui!” (Analects 6.11)”

“When we see persons of worth, we should think of equaling them; when we see persons of a contrary character, we should turn inwards and examine ourselves.”

“Look not at what is contrary to propriety; listen not to what is contrary to propriety; speak not what is contrary to propriety; make no movement which is contrary to propriety.”

“The superior man does not, even for the space of a single meal, act contrary to virtue. In moments of haste, he cleaves to it. In seasons of danger, he cleaves to it.”

“Faced with what is right, to leave it undone shows a lack of courage.”

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

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

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

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

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

“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.”

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

“The superior man makes the difficulty to be overcome his first interest; success only comes later.”

“The superior man, when resting in safety, does not forget that danger may come. When in a state of security he does not forget the possibility of ruin. When all is orderly, he does not forget that disorder may come. Thus his person is not endangered, and his States and all their clans are preserved.”

“You cannot open a book without learning something.”

“The superior man is distressed by the limitations of his ability; he is not distressed by the fact that men do not recognize the ability that he has.”

“Study the past, if you would divine the future.”

“Learning without thought is labour lost; thought without learning is perilous.”

“The firm, the enduring, the simple, and the modest are near to virtue.”

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

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

“The faults of a superior person are like the sun and moon. They have their faults, and everyone sees them; they change and everyone looks up to them.”

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

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

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

“Humility is the solid foundation of all virtues.”

“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.”

“Heaven means to be one with God.”

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

“Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without.”

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

“Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire.”

“Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous.”

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

“The strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the home.”

“The object of the superior man is truth.”

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

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

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

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

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

“When the wind blows,the grass bends.”

“If names be not correct, language is not in accordance with the truth of things. If language be not in accordance with the truth of things, affairs cannot be carried on to success. When affairs cannot be carried on to success, proprieties and music do not flourish.”

“I am not one who was born with great wisdom. I love the ancients and diligently seek wisdom among them.”

“How can you love people without encouraging them? And how can you be loyal to people without educating them.”

“The wise never doubt. The Humane never worry. The brave never fear.”

“If a craftsman wants to do good work, he must first sharpen his tools.”

“One who never anticipates deceit or expects duplicity, and yet is the first to recognize such things – is that not a sage indeed?”

“If you want to make a stand, help others make a stand, and if you want to reach your goal, help others reach their goal. Consider yourself and treat others accordingly: this is the method of Humanity.”

“Am I a man of great wisdom? Hardly! Even when a simple person brings me a question, my mind goes utterly blank, I just thrash it out until I’ve exhausted every possibility.”

“In worthy teaching, all things are related.”