The 68 best famous quotes of Confucius

A unique oriental thinker who is, perhaps, the most prolific in phrases and short thoughts.

Kung Fu Tzu (551 - 479 B.C.) or "Confucius" was the most influential philosopher-political thinker in China during the Asian feudal era. during the Asian feudal era. The son of a declining noble family, he struggled to make a place for himself in the ruling class of his time in the kingdom of Lu, China.

Known as Confucius in the West, this Eastern thinker formulated what would come to be known as Confucianism, an idea he touted as a way of life.an idea he advocated for good government. Its foundations lay in tolerance, respect, altruism and ethics.

Related articles:

• "75 philosophical phrases uttered by great thinkers."
• "70 Buddhist phrases to attain inner peace"
• "89 zen phrases that will touch your soul"

The most revealing phrases of the Chinese thinker

In this article we offer you the most outstanding reflections and phrases of the author Confucius, a reference in Eastern philosophy.

Learning without reflection is a waste of energy.

Reflection is part of the experience we acquire.

2. We must be at peace with ourselves, otherwise we cannot guide others in the search for peace.

Before educating others, we must educate ourselves.

3. Only the most excellent sages, and the most accomplished fools, are incomprehensible.

A curious duality posed by Confucius.

4. A man without virtue cannot dwell long in adversity, nor can he dwell long in happiness.

Excellent thought for a deep reflection.

5. You can take away a general's army, but you cannot take away a man's will.

The will is mightier than a whole army of men without it.

6. It is possible to achieve something after three hours of fighting, but it will certainly be possible to achieve it with just three words impregnated with affection.

Words should take precedence over violence.

7. What you don't want others to do to you, don't do to others.

One has to be consistent with what one does, and coherent at the same time.

8. Learning without thinking is useless. Thinking without learning is dangerous

Everything is related between learning and thinking. We have to complement them.

9. A man of virtuous words is not always a virtuous man.

We are what we do, not what we say we will do.

10. Ignorance is the night of the mind: but a night without moon and stars.

It is very dangerous to remain in ignorance.

11. The virtuous man rests in virtue, and the wise man covets virtue.

Virtue seems to be a key theme for Confucius.

12. A gentleman should be ashamed if his words are better than his deeds.

Once again, one has to act as one says.

13. Listening or reading without reflecting is a useless occupation.

One should not swallow things, one should chew them.

14. Train yourself because you do not know men.

We must empathize in life, this is the only way to achieve harmony.

15. A man's defects are always adapted to his type of mind.

We are all limited by our thoughts.

16. He who governs by means of his moral excellence can be compared to the North Star.

For Confucius, government has to be something ethical and of good deeds.

17. Never make bets. If you know you will win, you are a rogue; and if you don't, you are a fool.

Curious phrase about gambling.

18. Before starting a journey of revenge dig two graves.

Revenge is treacherous, not beneficial.

19. Observe their defects and you will know their virtues

All people are composed of both concepts.

20. Before the pole star, all the other stars bow down before it.

Before the good ruler, as he refers, all follow him if he is virtuous.

21. I don't try to know the questions; I try to know the answers.

To ask them is easy, to solve them is the complicated thing.

22. Artificed language and flattering behavior seldom accompany virtue.

There is nothing more empty than superficial verbiage.

23. The only people who do not change are the wise of the first order and the complete idiots.

Extremes always tend to be rigid.

24. Demand too much of yourself and expect too little of others.

Expecting others to behave the same way we do is a waste of time.

25. If you already know what you have to do and you don't do it, then you are worse off than before.

You have to act if you know what you want. If not, you will not find the way.

26. To know that one knows what one knows and that one does not know what one does not know; this is the true knowledge.

Having clear objectives is essential in this life.

27. Men are distinguished less by their natural qualities than by the culture they provide for themselves.

Man was born wanting to know.

28. Education makes us different and alienates us.

Socialization lacks collective commitment, and often classifies people as different from one another.

29. The evil is not in having faults, but in not trying to correct them.

To err is human, to rectify is wise.

30. The noble man has a broad and unprejudiced mind.

Ethical conscience was an important theme for Confucius.

31. If one does not know how to govern oneself, how will one know how to govern others?

We must always be in control of our own destiny and thoughts if we intend to lead the masses.

32. The true gentleman is the one who only preaches what he practices.

Once again, Confucius appeals to the consistency between action and speech.

33. You should not complain about the snow on your neighbor's roof when it also covers the threshold of your house.

Before complaining about what belongs to others, we must clean up after ourselves.

34. The inferior man is prejudiced and lacks a broad mind.

There are always exploiters and exploited.

35. What the wise man wants, he seeks in himself; the vulgar, he seeks in others.

This is the difference between the successful and the unsuccessful.

36. Wisdom takes care to be slow in her speeches and diligent in her actions.

Soft words, forceful actions.

37. Cautious people are seldom wrong

Caution is a privilege for people.

38. Learn to live and you will know how to die well

There is no need to fear death if you love life.

39. No matter how far the spirit goes, it will never go further than the heart.

Passion makes us reach unsuspected heights.

40. Silence is the only friend that never betrays.

It is better to be quiet and work like an ant.

41. They told me and I forgot; I saw it and I understood; I did it and I learned it.

We must learn to hear from others.

42. It is easier to seize the commander-in-chief of an army than to strip a wretch of his liberty.

Freedom is what sustains people's existence.

43. He who by retracing the old path learns the new, may be considered a master.

Interesting thought for meditation.

44. Do not try to put out a fire with fire, nor to remedy a flood with water.

It is necessary to know how to look for the adequate solutions for each problem.

45. The man who has made a mistake and does not correct it commits another greater mistake.

It is not wrong to make a mistake. What is wrong is to do it again.

46. Study the past if you want to forecast the future.

From the past we learn to form a better future.

47. Some money avoids worries; a lot of money attracts them.

Money has always been a complexity in human beings.

48. A loud voice cannot compete with a clear voice, even if the latter is a simple murmur.

It is not because we raise our voices that we are more right.

49. Let the state be managed as the family is managed, with authority, competence and good example.

For some the government is the reflection of the people and the family.

50. If you do not yet know life, how can it be possible to know death?

Death is part of life.

51. When you see a man devoid of virtue, examine yourselves.

We always see in others our own defects.

52. Human nature is good, and evil is essentially unnatural.

Are people good by nature?

53. If one does not respect the sacred, one has nothing to fix one's conduct on.

Customs and traditions were essential for Confucius.

54. The superior man always thinks of virtue; the vulgar man thinks of comfort.

The comfort zone is reserved for the complacent.

56. When you see a wise man, think to match his virtues.

It is necessary to copy the other virtuous ones, to take example of the good ones.

57. Work to prevent crimes in order not to need punishments.

Society needs education for good conduct. Thus violence is avoided.

57. The elevated man is he who works before he speaks, and practices what he professes.

We must do what we preach.

58. The wise man knows that he is ignorant

The wise know all things.

59. It is not the weeds that choke the good seed, but the negligence of the farmer.

It is up to each one to solve the problems.

60. The superior man is persistent on the right path.

The superior man as the good, the ethical and kind.

61. Only the virtuous are competent to love men

We must know how to love others in order to be an example to society. To love oneself is easy.

62. The one who knows the truth is not equal to the one who loves it

Many know the truth but do not want to discover it.

63. Virtue does not live in solitude: it must have neighbors.

The human being is sociable and was born to understand others.

64. Better than the man who knows what is right is the man who loves what is right.

To be moral in this life, we must have justice present.

65. A scholar who is not serious will not inspire respect.

Intellect and science require seriousness.

66. He who governs a people by setting a good example resembles the polar star.

Confucius made this simile for the good ruler.

67. To know how to govern is to rectify

To govern is not only the art of knowing how to command.

68. There is nothing colder than an advice whose application is impossible.

It is necessary to be a realist and not only a utopian.