Confucius

• “A fool despises good counsel, but a wise man takes it to heart.”
• “A good man is not mine to see. Could I see a man possessed of constancy, that would satisfy me.”
• “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.”
• “A man who does not plan long ahead will find trouble right at his door”
• “A man who has committed a mistake and doesn't correct it, is committing another mistake.”
• “A superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions.”
• “A youth is to be regarded with respect. How do you know that his future will not be equal to our present?”
• “Ability will never catch up with the demand for it.”
• “Acquire new knowledge whilst thinking over the old, and you may become a teacher of others.”
• “Act with kindness, but do not expect gratitude”
• “All people are the same, only their habits change.”
• “Always and in everything let there be reverence.”
• “An oppressive government is more to be feared than a tiger.”
• “As long as I have rice to eat, and pure water to drink, I can find joy within.”
• “Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.”
• “Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without.”
• “Between friends, frequent reproofs make the friendship distant.”
• “By three methods we may learn wisdom: first, by reflection, which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third, by experience, which is the most bitter.”
• “Can there be a love which does not make demands on its object?”
• “Chi Wen Tzu always thought three times before taking action. Twice would have been quite enough.”
• “Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
• “Consideration for others is the basic of a good life, a good society.”
• “Death and life have their determined appointments; riches and honors depend upon heaven.”
• “Death and life have their determined appointments; riches and honours depend upon heaven.”
• “Desire to have things done quickly prevents their being done thoroughly”
• “Do not be desirous of having things done quickly. Do not look at small advantages. Desire to have things done quickly prevents their being done thoroughly. Looking at small advantages prevents great affairs from being accomplished.”
• “Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire.”
• “Do not take liberties with the gods, or weary them”
• “Do not worry about holding high position; worry rather about playing your proper role.”
• “Don't complain about the snow on your neighbor's roof when your own doorstep is unclean.”
• “Every truth has four corners: as a teacher I give you one corner, and it is for you to find the other three.”
• “Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it”
• “Faced with what is right, to leave it undone shows a lack of courage.”
• “Faithfulness and sincerity are the highest things.”
• “Five things constitute perfect virtue: gravity, magnanimity, earnestness, sincerity, kindness”
• “Forget injuries, never forget kindnesses”
• “Forget injuries; never forget kindness.”
• “Go before the people with your example, and be laborious in their affairs.”
• “Gravity is only the bark of wisdom's tree but it preserves it”
• “Have no friends not equal to yourself.”
• “He does not preach what he practices till he has practiced what he preaches.”
• “He who conquers himself is the mightiest warrior.”
• “He who exercises government by means of his virtue may be compared to the north polar star, which keeps its place and all the stars turn towards it.”
• “He who has really set his mind on virtue will do no evil.”
• “He who kisses girl on hillside is not level”
• “He who learns but does not think, is lost! He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger.”
• “He who speaks without modesty will find it difficult to make his words good.”
• “He who will not economize will have to agonize”
• “He, who wishes to secure the good of others, has already secured his own”
• “Heaven means to be one with God.”
• “Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles”
• “I am not concerned that I have no place, I am concerned how I may fit myself for one, I am not concerned that I am not known, I seek to be worthy to be known”
• “I do not want a friend who smiles when I smile, who weeps when I weep; for my shadow in the pool can do better than that.”
• “I have never seen a man as fond of virtue as of women.”
• “I have yet to meet a man as fond of high moral conduct as he is of outward appearances”
• “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.”
• “I hear, I know. I see, I remember. I do, I understand.”
• “I saw some piglets suckling their dead mother. After a short while they shuddered and went away. They had sensed that she could no longer see them and that she wasn't like them any more. What they loved in their mother wasn't her body, but whatever it was that made her body live.”
• “I want you to be everything that's you, deep at the center of your being.”
• “I will not be concerned at other men's not knowing me;I will be concerned at my own want of ability.”
• “If a man take no thought about what is distant, he will find sorrow near at hand.”
• “If language is not correct, then what is said is not what is meant; if what is said is not what is meant, then what must be done remains undone; if this remains undone, morals and art will deteriorate; if justice goes astray, the people will stand about in helpless confusion. Hence there must be no arbitrariness in what is said. This matters above everything.”
• “If many years were added to my life, I would give fifty to the study of the Book of Changes and might thereby manage to avoid great mistakes.”
• “If names are not correct, language will not be in accordance with the truth of things”
• “If we don't know life, how can we know death?”
• “If you do not change the direction in which you are going, you will end up where you are headed.”
• “If you know, to recognize that you know, If you don't know, to realize that you don't know: That is knowledge.”
• “If you look into your own heart, and you find nothing wrong there, what is there to worry about? What is there to fear?”
• “If you shoot for the stars and hit the moon, it's OK. But you've got to shoot for something. A lot of people don't even shoot.”
• “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.”
• “If you would one day renovate yourself, do so from day to day”
• “Ignorance is the night of the mind, a night without moon or star”
• “Instead of being concerned that you have no office, be concerned to think how you may fit yourself for office. Instead of being concerned that you are not known, see to the (be?) worthy of being known.”
• “Is there any one maxim which ought to be acted upon throughout one's whole life? Surely the maxim of loving kindness is such: Do not unto others what you would not they should do unto you.”
• “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”
• “It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop”
• “It is because men are prone to be partial towards those they love, unjust to those they hate, servile to those above them, and either harsh or overindulgent to those below them in station, poverty or distress, that it is difficult to find anyone capa”
• “It is better to live in peace than in bitterness and strife”
• “It is better to play than do nothing”
• “It is man that makes truth great, not truth that makes man great”
• “It is more shameful to distrust our friends than to be deceived by them.”
• “It is not possible for one to teach others who cannot teach his own family.”
• “It is only the wisest and the stupidest that cannot change.”
• “Learn as though you would never be able to master it; Hold it as though you would be in fear of losing it”
• “Learning without thought is labor lost; and thought without learning is perilous.”
• “Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous.”
• “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.”
• “Look at the means which a man employs, consider his motives, observe his pleasures. A man simply cannot conceal himself!”
• “Love thy neighbor as thyself: Do not to others what thou wouldn't not wish be done to thyself: Forgive injuries. Forgive thy enemy, be reconciled to him, give him assistance, invoke God in his behalf.”
• “Make fair agreements and stick to them”
• “Man who stand on hill with mouth open will wait long time for roast duck to drop in.”
• “Mankind differs from the animals only by a little and most people throw that away.”
• “May you be born in an important time”
• “Men's natures are alike; it is their habits that separate them”
• “Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without”
• “Never contract friendship with a man that is not better than thyself.”
• “Never give a sword to a man who can't dance.”
• “Never hesitate to ask a lesser person.”
• “Never seek illicit wealth.”
• “Never use a cannon to kill a fly.”
• “No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance.”
• “No matter where you go - there you are”
• “Not to alter one's faults is to be faulty indeed.”
• “Of neighborhoods, benevolence is the most beautiful. How can the man be considered wise who when he had the choice does not settle in benevolence.”
• “Old age, believe me, is a good and pleasant thing. It is true you are gently shouldered off the stage, but then you are given such a comfortable front stall as spectator.”
• “One atom of the plane where He functions would shatter the world.”
• “Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change.”
• “Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall”
• “People with virtue must speak out; People who speak are not all virtuous.”
• “place where man laughs, sings, picks flowers, chases butterflies and pets birds, makes love with maidens, and plays with children. Here he spontaneously reveals his nature, the base as well as the noble. Here also he buries his sorrows and difficulties and cherishes his ideals and hopes. It is in the garden that men discover themselves. Indeed one discovers not only his real self but also his ideal self?he returns to his youth. Inevitably the garden is made the scene of man's merriment, escapades, romantic abandonment, spiritual awakening or the perfection of his finer self.”
• “Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance.”
• “Recompense injury with justice, and recompense kindness with kindness”
• “Seek not every quality in one individual”
• “Silence is a friend who will never betray”
• “Silence is a true friend who never betrays.”
• “Silence is the true friend that never betrays.”
• “Speak the truth, do not yield to anger; give, if thou art asked for little; by these three steps thou wilt go near the gods.”
• “Straightforwardness, without the rules of propriety, becomes rudeness”
• “Study the past if you would divine the future”
• “Study without reflection is a waste of time; reflection without study is dangerous”
• “Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.”
• “The book salesman should be honored because he brings to our attention, as a rule, the very books we need most and neglect most.”
• “The cautious seldom err.”
• “The essence of knowledge is, having it, to apply it; not having it, to confess your ignorance.”
• “The father who does not teach his son his duties is equally guilty with the son who neglects them.”
• “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.”
• “The firm, the enduring, the simple, and the modest are near to virtue.”
• “The main object of conciliation lies in reaching a solution to a case based upon morals and with a warm heart”
• “The man of noble mind seeks to achieve the good in others and not their evil. The little-minded man is the reverse of this.”
• “The man of upright life is obeyed before he speaks”
• “The man of wisdom has no perplexity; the man of humanity has no worry; the man of courage has no fear.”
• “The mirror reflects all objects without being sullied”
• “The object of the superior man is truth.”
• “The perfecting of one's self is the fundamental base of all progress and all moral development.”
• “The proper man understands equity, the small man profits.”
• “The real fault is to have faults and not to amend them”
• “The strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the home.”
• “The strength of a nation is derived from the integrity of its homes”
• “The superior man acts before he speaks, and afterwards speaks according to his action.”
• “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.”
• “The superior man is firm in the right way, and not merely firm”
• “The superior man is slow in his words and earnest in his conduct”
• “The superior man makes the difficulty to be overcome his first interest; success comes only later”
• “The superior man thinks always of virtue; the common man thinks of comfort.”
• “The superior man will watch over himself when he is alone. He examines his heart that there may be nothing wrong there, and that he may have no cause of dissatisfaction with himself.”
• “The way of the superior person is threefold; virtuous, they are free from anxieties; wise they are free from perplexities; and bold they are free from fear.”
• “The wheel of fortune turns round incessantly, and who can say to himself, "I shall today be uppermost”
• “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.”
• “There are three methods to gaining wisdom. The first is reflection, which is the highest. The second is limitation, which is the easiest. The third is experience, which is the bitterest.”
• “They must change who would be constant in happiness and wisdom.”
• “They must often change, who would be constant in happiness or wisdom.”
• “Things that are done, it is needless to speak about; things that are past it is needless to blame.”
• “Think no vice so small that you may commit it, and no virtue so small that you may over look it.”
• “Those who are firm, enduring, simple and unpretentious are the nearest to virtue”
• “Those who know the truth are not equal to those who love it”
• “To be able to practice five things everywhere under heaven constitutes perfect virtue. They are gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness and kindness.”
• “To be fond of learning is near to wisdom; to practice with vigor is near to benevolence; and to be conscious of shame is near to fortitude. He who knows these three things”
• “To be in one's own heart in kindly sympathy with all things; this is the nature of righteousness”
• “To be with God.”
• “To be wrong is nothing unless you continue to remember it”
• “To be wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it.”
• “To go beyond is as wrong as to fall short.”
• “To go too far is as bad as to fall short.”
• “To know that you know, and to know that you don't know - that is the real wisdom.”
• “To know, is to know that you know nothing. That is the meaning of true knowledge.”
• “To lead an uninstructed people to war is to throw them away”
• “To love a thing means wanting it to live”
• “To put the world in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must put the family in order; to put the family in order, we must cultivate our personal life; and to cultivate our personal life, we must first set our hearts right.”
• “To see the right and not to do it is cowardice.”
• “To see what is right and not to do it, is want of courage.”
• “To see what is right, and not do it, is want of courage, or of principle”
• “Virtue is more to man than either water or fire. I have seen men die from treading on water and fire, but I have never seen a man die from treading the course of virtue.”
• “Virtue is not left to stand alone. He who practices it will have neighbors.”
• “Virtue is not solitary; it is bound to have neighbors”
• “Virtue is the strong stem of man's nature, and music is the blossoming of virtue.”
• “Virtuous people often revenge themselves for the constraints to which they submit by the boredom which they inspire.”
• “We should feel sorrow, but not sink under its oppression.”
• “We take great pains to persuade other that we are happy than in to think so ourselves.”
• “Wealth and rank are what people desire, but unless they are obtained in the right way they may not be possessed.”
• “What the superior person seeks is in themselves. What the mean person seeks is in others.”
• “What you do not wish upon yourself, extend not to others.”
• “When anger rises, think of the consequences”
• “When internal examination discovers nothing wrong, what is there to be anxious about, what is there to fear?”
• “When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.”
• “When music and courtesy are better understood and appreciated, there will be no war”
• “When nature exceeds culture, we have the rustic. When culture exceeds nature then we the pedant.”
• “When prosperity comes, do not use all of it.”
• “When we see men of a contrary character, we should turn inwards and examine ourselves.”
• “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.”
• “When you are laboring for others let it be with the same zeal as if it were for yourself.”
• “When you know a thing, to hold that you know it, and when you do not know a thing, to allow that you do not know it: this is knowledge”
• “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.”
• “When you see a worthy person, endeavor to emulate him. When you see an unworthy person, then examine your inner self.”
• “Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart”
• “Wisdom, compassion, and courage are the three universally recognized moral qualities of men.”
• “With coarse rice to eat, with water to drink, and my bent arm for a pillow -- I have still joy in the midst of all these things.”
• “Without feelings of respect, what is there to distinguish men from beasts?”
• “Without knowing the force of words, it is impossible to know men”
• “-Without recognizing the ordinances of Heaven, it is impossible to be a superior man.”
• “Words are the voice of the heart”
• “Worry not that no one knows of you; seek to be worth knowing.”
• “You cannot open a book without learning something.”
• “By nature, men are nearly alike; by practice, they get to be wide apart”
• “He who cannot describe the problem will never find the solution to that problem.”
• “He who requires much from himself and little from others, will keep himself from being the object of resentment.”
• “He who wished to secure the good of others, has already secured his own.”
• “If I am walking with two other men, each of them I 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.”
• “If you lead the people with correctness, who will dare not be correct?”
• “In a country well governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a country badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamed of.”
• “It is the law of nature that woman should be held under the dominance of man”
• “Only the wisest and the stupidest of men never change.”
• “Sincerity and truth are the basis of every virtue.”
• “The expectations of life depend upon diligence; the mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools.”
• “The more man meditates upon good thoughts, the better will be his world and the world at large.”
• “The parents age must be remembered, both for joy and anxiety.”
• “The superior man is distressed by his want of ability”
• “The superior man understands what is right; the inferior man understands what will sell.”
• “There was a man from Sung who pulled at his rice plants because he was worried about their failure to grow”
• “To know what is right and not do it is the worst cowardice”
• “To see and listen to the wicked is already the beginning of wickedness.”
• “Tsze-Kung asked, "Is there one word which may serve as a rule of practice for all one's life?" The Master said, "Is not Reciprocity such a word? What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others”
• “What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.”
• “When you have faults, do not fear to abandon them”
• “Wherever you go, go with all your heart.”
• “You cannot prevent the birds of sadness from passing over your head, but you can prevent them from making nests in your hair.”
• “See what a man does: Mark his motives, Examine in which things he rests, How can a man conceal his character? How can a man conceal his character?”

- confucius