Confucianism is one of the most influential schools of thought in ancient China, originating during the Spring and Autumn and Warring States periods. Founded by Confucius, this philosophy emphasizes nine core principles: benevolence (Ren), righteousness, propriety, wisdom, faith, forgiveness, loyalty, filial piety, and fraternity. Among these, four are considered the most significant: loyalty, filial piety, benevolence, and righteousness.
- Benevolence (Ren): This principle emphasizes kindness and goodness towards others. It is seen as the foundational virtue in Confucianism, guiding all moral actions.
- Loyalty: This includes loyalty to friends (Heide) and loyalty to the ruler (Zhong).
- Filial Piety (Xiao): Respect and duty towards one’s parents and ancestors.
- Righteousness: Upholding justice and morality in all actions.
Other significant ideas include:
- Propriety: Following the proper conduct and rituals.
- Wisdom: The pursuit of knowledge and understanding.
- Faith: Honesty and integrity in one’s actions.
- Forgiveness: Being forgiving and compassionate.
- Fraternity: Love and kindness towards siblings and fellow beings.
Confucianism deeply influences traditional Chinese culture and has spread its impact across various countries, shaping societal values and behaviors. Confucius aspired for everyone to become a «gentleman» by adhering to these principles, especially the virtue of benevolence (Ren). The philosophy suggests that the ultimate goal of life is to cultivate oneself according to these virtues, which in turn promotes societal harmony and progress.
Notable Quotes from Confucius:
1. The way of the university is to be clear and virtuous, to be kind to the people, and to stop at the highest good. –Excerpts from Confucius’ The Great Learning
(The purpose of the university is to reveal noble virtues, to make people free from old habits, and to attain the highest state of goodness.)
2, the so-called sincerity of their intentions, do not deceive themselves, such as the evil smell, such as good color, this is called self-effacement, so the gentleman must be cautious of their own. –Excerpts from Confucius’ The Great Learning
(By honesty of intention, it is meant not to deceive oneself, to detest evil as one detests unpleasant odors, and to love goodness as one loves a beautiful woman, so that one can say that one is at peace with oneself, and so a gentleman must be prudent when he is alone.)
3. Wealth moistens the house, virtue moistens the body, the heart is wide and the body is fat, so the gentleman must be sincere in his intentions. –Excerpts from Confucius’ «University
(Wealth can beautify the house, morality can beautify the body and mind, and a broad mind can make the body and mind comfortable, so a gentleman must be honest in his intentions.)
4. No man knows the evil of his son or the fruitfulness of his seedling. –Excerpt from Confucius’ «The Great Learning
(No one knows the badness of their children, no one knows the lushness of their harvest.)
5. A gentleman has his own, and then seeks others. –Excerpt from Confucius’ «The Great Learning
(Be virtuous yourself so that you can ask others to do good.)
6. The Poem reads, «The peach is young, and its leaves are abundant. The son of the peach returns to his family, and it is appropriate for him to return to his family.» –Excerpt from Confucius’ The Great Learning
(The Psalmist says: «The lush peach tree blossoms with bright flowers; this girl is married and can live in harmony with her in-laws.»)
7, joy, anger, sadness and happiness is not yet issued, is called in, issued and all in the section, is called and. To the neutralization, the status of heaven, all things are nurtured. –Confucius, «The Mean
(When one’s feelings of joy, anger, sadness and happiness are not manifested, it is called neutral; when they are manifested in accordance with the law, it is called harmony.) When harmony is attained, heaven and earth take their respective places, and all things grow.)
8. If you do not wish to give to others, do not give to them. –Extracted from Confucius’ «The Mean
(Do not add to others what you would not have them add to you.)
9. To learn well is near to knowing, to do diligently is near to benevolence, and to know shame is near to courage. –Excerpt from Confucius’ «The Mean
(A love of learning is close to wisdom, an endeavor to do good is close to benevolence, and the knowledge of shame is close to courage.)
10. All things are established when they are hesitant, and abolished when they are not. –Excerpt from Confucius’ «The Mean
(In anything, preparedness leads to success, unpreparedness leads to failure.)
11. Learn from the knowledge of the world, ask questions, think carefully, discern clearly, and act conscientiously. –Excerpt from Confucius’ «The Meanwhile
(Study widely, inquire exhaustively, think carefully, discern clearly, and perform faithfully.)
12. The way of heaven and earth can be summed up in a single word: if it is a thing of no account, then its creatures are unpredictable. The way of heaven and earth is: broad, thick, high, bright, long, and long. –(The law of heaven and earth can be summed up in one sentence: it is true to itself, it is unswerving, it nurtures all things, and it is unfathomable. The laws of heaven and earth are: broad, deep, high, shrewd, long, and long.)
13. The way of the gentleman, dark and yet the day chapter; the way of the villain, and yet the day death. The way of the gentleman, light but not tired, simple and text, warm and reasonable, know the nearness of the distance, know the wind since, know the micro-expression, can be with into the virtue is carried out. –From Confucius’ «The Meanwhile
(The way of the gentleman is: outwardly dull and colorless, but the virtues are becoming more apparent day by day. The way of a villain is to have a bright and colorful appearance that fades away. A gentleman’s way of being a man is also: to be plain in appearance but not repulsive, to be simple but colorful, to be gentle but organized, to know that the far begins with the near, to know that the edification of others begins with oneself, to know that what is hidden and subtle is gradually revealed, and in this way to enter into the virtues of the saints.)
14. Isn’t it a good idea to learn from others? If a friend comes from afar, isn’t it a pleasure? If you don’t know what you’re doing, don’t you think you’re a gentleman? –Extracts from Confucius’ The Analects of Confucius
(Wouldn’t it be nice if, after learning, one took care to refresh oneself constantly? If a friend comes from afar to ask for advice, does he not feel happy in his heart? If one is able to do so without complaining about others when they do not know him, can he not be called a gentleman?)
15. I have three thoughts for the day: Is it not loyal to plan for others? To befriend a friend and not to believe? Is it not customary to pass on a message? –Excerpts from Confucius’ The Analects of Confucius
(I reflect on myself many times a day: do I do my best for others? Have I been honest with my friends? Have I practiced what my teachers have taught me?)
16, Xianxian easy color; parents can do their best; the gentleman can be to the body; and friends with words and faith. Though it is said that I have not yet learned, I say that I have learned. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(He honors the wise and does not value women; he honors his parents to the best of his ability; he serves his sovereign to the utmost of his life; and he is a man of his word with his friends.) Such a man, though he is said not to have learned to be a man, yet I think he has.)
17. The use of etiquette and harmony are precious. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(In applying the laws of etiquette, special attention should be paid to living together in harmony.)
18, gentleman food does not seek to be full, …… keen on things and careful in speech, on the road and correct, can be said to be a good learning has also been. –Excerpts from Confucius’ The Analects of Confucius
(A gentleman who eats without seeking to be overfilled,……, who is diligent in his work and prudent in his speech, and who is able to approach a man of sense and learn from him in order to correct his own shortcomings, may be said to be a man of good learning.)
19. Do not suffer from the fact that people are not known, but from the fact that you do not know them. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(Don’t worry that people don’t understand you, worry that you can’t understand them.)
20. To govern with virtue is like the North Star, which resides in its place and is shared by all the stars. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(To rule the country by morality. In this way it is like the North Star, which is fixed in one place and does not move, but the stars willingly surround it.)
21. The Poetry 300, in a nutshell, says: «Si Wu Yi.» –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(The 300 Psalms, the content of which can be summarized in one sentence, «Pure in thought, free from evil.»)
22. I am ten years old and aspire to learn, thirty years old, forty years old, fifty years old and know the fate of heaven, sixty years old and obedient to the ear, seventy years old and from the heart of the desire, not to exceed the rules. –Excerpt from Confucius’ The Analects of Confucius
(I began to devote myself to study at the age of fifteen, and at the age of thirty I was able to stand on my own feet in society; at forty I was no longer perplexed by all kinds of things; at fifty I understood the laws of nature; at sixty I was able to comprehend the things I heard, and to distinguish right from wrong; at seventy I was able to do what I wanted to do, but without going beyond the norms of propriety and law.)
23. If you can learn from the past, you can be a teacher. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(If one frequently reviews what one has already learned, one can constantly generate new experiences and gains, and this method can be considered our teacher.)
24. A gentleman is circumspect but not circumspect, while a villain is circumspect but not circumspect. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(A gentleman unites all men universally, and is not close to only a few; a villain colludes with only a few, and is not close to all.)
25. To learn without thinking is confusing, to think without learning is dangerous. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(If you read without thinking deeply, you are bound to be confused and gain nothing, but if you think without reading, you are also in danger.)
26. To know is to know, and not to know is to know. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(To know is to know, and not to know is to admit that one does not know; this is the proper attitude to seek knowledge.)
27. If a person does not have faith, he does not know what he can do. The big car has no crossbar, the small car has no yoking bar, how can it walk? –Excerpts from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(If a man does not keep his word, I wonder how he can stand in the world? It is like an oxcart without clamps, or a carriage without yokes, by what can one walk?)
28. What can be tolerated? –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(If this behavior is tolerated, what behavior is not?)
29. «Guan Suo», joy without lust, sorrow without sorrow. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(The poem «Guan Suo» is happy but not overly so, and mournful but not mournful.)
30. Li Ren is beautiful, choose not to be in Ren, how to know? –From Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(It is best to be able to attain the state of benevolence. If one cannot attain the state of benevolence in all respects, how can one be considered a person of wisdom?)
31. A gentleman carries virtue, a villain carries earth; a gentleman carries punishment, a villain carries favors. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(The gentleman thinks of how to promote benevolence and virtue, while the villain thinks of how to get a place of ease; the gentleman thinks of how to keep from violating the criminal law, while the villain thinks of how to benefit himself.)
32. Do not suffer from the absence of a position, suffering from the so established. I don’t suffer from not being known, but seek to be known. –Excerpt from Confucius’ The Analects of Confucius
(A person should not worry about not having an official position and salary, but should worry about not having the ability to serve as an official. One should not worry that others do not understand one’s self, but should pursue talents that enable others to understand one’s self.)
33. A gentleman is a metaphor for righteousness, while a villain is a metaphor for profit. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(A gentleman knows how to pursue morality and righteousness, while a villain only knows how to pursue self-interest.)
34. Seeing the virtuous and thinking of the wise, and seeing the unwise, but also internal self-examination. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(When you see a virtuous man, you should consider how you can be on par with him; when you see an unvirtuous man, you should reflect inwardly to see if you have the same shortcomings.)
35. A gentleman desires to speak in silence but act with sensitivity. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(A gentleman should be careful in what he says, but thunderous in what he does.)
36. Decaying wood cannot be carved. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(Rotten wood cannot be carved.)
37. Being keen and studious, and not being ashamed to ask questions, is what is known as «literature». –Confucius, The Analects of Confucius
(He was so smart and studious that he was not ashamed to ask for advice from people of low status, so he was called «Man.»)
38. His knowledge is accessible, but his foolishness is inaccessible. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(This kind of cleverness of his, others can do, while this kind of foolishness is difficult for others to do.)
39, quality over text is wild, text over quality is history. WenQiBinBin, then gentleman. –Excerpts from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(If simplicity outweighs elegance, one will appear boorish, and if elegance outweighs simplicity, one will be vapid.) Only when the outward appearance and the heart are properly matched can one be considered a gentleman.)
40. Those who know are better than those who are good, and those who are good are better than those who are happy. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(For anything, the man who merely knows it is not as good as the man who loves it deeply, and the man who loves it deeply is not as good as the man who enjoys it.)
41. Above the middleman, one can speak to the top; below the middleman, one cannot speak to the top. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(It is permissible to talk to a person of more than moderate talent about advanced learning, while it is not permissible to talk to a person of less than moderate talent about advanced learning.)
42. He who knows is happy with water, and he who is kind is happy with mountains. Those who know move, those who are benevolent are quiet; those who know are happy, those who are benevolent live. –Excerpt from Confucius’ The Analects of Confucius
(A wise man likes water because he is as active as water, and a kind man likes mountains because his heart is as pure as a mountain’s.) A wise man is active, a kind man is quiet, a wise man is optimistic, a kind man has a long life.)
43. To be acquainted in silence, to learn without being tired, and to be tireless in teaching. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(To memorize silently what has been learned, to persevere in study without becoming weary, and to teach others without tirelessness.)
44, rich and can be sought, although the whip, I also for it. If you can not seek, from my good. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(If wealth can be striven for, even if I am told to be a coachman with a horsewhip in my hand, I will do it; but if it cannot be pursued, I might as well do what I love.)
45. To be angry and forget to eat, to be happy and forget to worry, and not to know that old age is approaching. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(He was so furious with his studies that he often forgot to eat, and once he had made a gain, he was so happy that he forgot his sorrows, and he did not even realize that he was getting old.)
46. When three people walk together, they must be my teachers. Choose those who are good and follow them, and those who are not good and change them. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(If three people walk together, there must be one of the other two who can be my teacher. If they have strengths, I’ll learn from them, and if they have weaknesses, I’ll learn from them and correct them.)
47. The Son teaches in four ways: literature, conduct, loyalty, and faith. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(Confucius taught his students in four ways: to learn culture, to cultivate virtue, to be faithful, and to be consistent in word and deed.)
48. The gentleman is honest and open, but the villain is long in the tooth. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(The heart of a gentleman is open and cheerful, while the heart of a villain is narrow and sorrowful.)
49. When a bird is about to die, its song is sad; when a man is about to die, his words are good. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(When a bird is dying, its cry is mournful; when a man is dying, his speech is kind.)
50. The scholar can not not be honored, the task is heavy and the road is long. If you think you have a responsibility, is it not a heavy one? The man who dies before he dies, is he not also far away? –Confucius, The Analects of Confucius
(A scholar cannot help but be broad-minded and strong-willed, for he has a heavy burden and a long journey ahead of him. He has made it his mission to realize the ideal of benevolence, is the burden not heavy? Is it not a long journey for him to strive for this ideal until he dies?)
51. Zi Jie four: no intention, no necessity, no solidity, no me. –Excerpt from Confucius’ The Analects of Confucius
(Confucius did not have the following four faults: subjectivity, absolute certainty, stubbornness, and self-righteousness.)
52, look ahead, but not behind 。。。。 I am a good scholar, I am a good scholar, I am a good scholar, I am a good scholar, I am a good scholar, I am a good scholar, I am a good scholar, and I am a good scholar. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(Looking forward, it seemed to be in front of me, and then suddenly it seemed to be behind me.) My teacher was good at inducing me step by step, broadening my horizons with ancient cultural texts, and restraining my behavior with rituals and laws.)
53. Zi said on the Sichuan River, «Passing away! Do not give up day and night.» –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(Confucius stood on the bank and pointed to the river and said, «The passage of time is like this river! It flows on day and night.»)
54. I have not seen anyone who is as good at virtue as he is at color. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(I have not seen a man who loves virtue as much as he loves beauty.)
55. How can we know that the future generations will not be the same as the present? Forty, fifty and not heard of, S also not fear also has. –From Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(A young man is terrible, for how can one know that his future will not be as good as our present? But if a man is still obscure when he reaches forty or fifty, he has nothing to fear.)
56. The three armies may seize the marshal, but the horsemen may not seize the will. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(In battle, the commander of three armies may be captured, but the will of an ordinary man cannot be forced to change.)
57, years of cold, and then know the pines and cypresses after the彫. –Extracted from Confucius «The Analects of Confucius
(It is only when the climate is cold that the character of the pine and cypress can be understood in its independence from the frost.)
58. If you fail to serve people, how can you serve ghosts? –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(How can you serve demons when you can’t even serve people well?)
59. Life and death have their own destinies, and wealth and riches are in heaven. A gentleman honors and does not lose, is respectful and courteous to others, and is a brother in the four corners of the world. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(Death and life are in the hands of fate, and wealth and riches are in the hands of heaven.) If a gentleman does his best without fault, and treats others with respect and propriety, then all the people within the four seas will be like brothers.)
60. A gentleman is a man of beauty, not a man of evil. The small man is the opposite. –Excerpt from Confucius’ The Analects of Confucius
(A gentleman fulfills the good deeds of others, but not their evil deeds. The villain is the opposite of this.)
61. Politics is also correct. If the son is correct, who dares to be incorrect? –Extracts from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(Politics means righteousness. If you can take the lead on the right path, who would dare not do the right thing?)
62、If the name is not correct, then the words will be said; if the words are said, then things will not be accomplished; …… Therefore, the name of the gentleman must be said, and the words must be feasible. –Excerpt from Confucius’ The Analects of Confucius
(If the name is not correct theoretically it will not make sense, and if it does not make sense theoretically, things will not work; …… therefore, when a gentleman gives a name to something, it must make sense theoretically, and it must work in practice.)
63. Recite «Poetry» 300, teach it to the government, not reach; make the four directions, can not specialize in the right; although more, also Xi thought? –From Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(Although he has familiarized himself with the 300 Psalms of the Book of Psalms, he is unable to handle political affairs when he is asked to do so, and he is unable to cope with specific situations independently when he is sent on a foreign mission; what is the use of such a person even if he has read a great deal?)
64. If one’s body is upright, one does not follow orders; if one’s body is not upright, one does not follow orders. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(As long as the person in the superior position behaves properly himself, then even if he does not issue orders, those below him will follow them; if he does not behave properly, even if he issues orders, those below him will not obey them.)
65. Gentlemen are in harmony, but not in agreement; small men are in agreement, but not in agreement. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(A gentleman is able to harmonize with his right and left but does not blindly follow them, while a villain blindly follows them without being able to live in harmony with others.)
66. A gentleman is easy to do but hard to say. Saying is not in the way, not to say; and its make people also, ware. The small man is hard to do and easy to say. Although it can not be said, said also; and its make people also, seek to prepare. –From Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(A gentleman is easy to serve, but hard to please. He will not be pleased with improper ways of pleasing him, but he is able to use his talents in the right measure. It is difficult for a small man to serve, but it is easy to win his favor. If he is pleased with him by improper means, he will be pleased; but when he uses people, he seeks to be pleased with them.)
67, see the benefits of righteousness, see the danger, a long time to forget the words of life, but also can be an adult. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(To be able to think of morality and righteousness in the face of self-interest, to be able to stand up for oneself in the face of danger, and to have not forgotten one’s promise in one’s life even though one has been living in poverty for a long time, one can thus be said to be a tenfold man.)
68. A gentleman is ashamed of his words and oversteps his actions. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(A gentleman is ashamed of words over actions.)
69. Or he said, «What is it like to repay a grudge with virtue?» Zi said, «What is the way to repay virtue? To repay a grudge with straightness, and to repay a grudge with virtue.» –Excerpt from Confucius’ The Analects of Confucius
(Someone said, «Would it be all right to repay someone’s grudge against you with a favor?») Confucius said, «In that case, what will you use to repay others’ kindness to you? It would be better to treat grudges and feuds with justice, and to repay kindness with beneficence.»)
70, the son said: «give also, female to give more learning and know with?» Said: «However, not with?» Said: «Not also, I give a consistent.» –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(Confucius said, «O Duanmu Zhi! Do you think that I am a man of erudition and memory?» Zigong replied, «Yes, isn’t that so?» (Confucius said, «No, I run them through with a basic truth.»)
71. If you can speak with words but do not speak with them, you will lose the man. If you do not speak with them, you will lose your words. Those who know do not lose people, nor do they lose words. –From Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(To talk to him and not to talk to him is to miss the talent. It is a waste of words to talk to him when you can’t talk to him. A wise man neither misses talent nor wastes words.)
72. There is killing the body in order to become benevolent. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(Can sacrifice life to fulfill benevolence.)
73. To do a good job, one must first sharpen one’s tools. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(A craftsman who wants to do his job well must first have sharp tools.)
74. If a man has no far-flung worries, he must have near worries. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(A person who does not think long term is bound to have immediate worries.)
75. If you are thick and blame others, you will be far from complaining. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(A person who can do more to blame himself and less to blame others will not incur the resentment of others.)
76. A gentleman seeks to do what he has already done, while a villain seeks to do what others have done. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(A gentleman does everything on his own; a villain demands everything from others.)
77. Do not do unto others what you do not want. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(Do not impose on others what you do not want to do.)
78. A small intolerance will lead to a big mess. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(Can’t help a moment’s petty wrath, it ruins the whole big thing.)
79. If you have crossed the line and do not change it, you have crossed the line. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(To have a mistake and not be able to correct it is a real mistake.)
80. I have tasted not eating all day and not sleeping all night in order to think, but it is no good, so it is better to learn. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(I used to go all day without food and all night without sleep, to think hard, and it turned out to be of no benefit; it would have been better to study.)
81: When Ren, do not let the teacher. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(In the face of practicing benevolence, even if the teacher is in front of you, do not be humble.)
82. There is no such thing as teaching. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(Educating people, regardless of their category.)
83. If the ways are different, they are not the same. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(advocate differently and do not discuss things with each other.)
84. Do not be afraid of being unequal, do not be afraid of being poor, but be afraid of being restless. …… Both come and go. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(There is no need to worry about little wealth, but only about uneven wealth; there is no need to worry about scarcity of population, but only about unrest within the borders. …… As they have come, let them be at peace.)
85. To speak before one’s words reach one’s mouth is called restlessness; to speak before one’s mouth reaches one’s mouth is called concealment; to speak before one sees a color is called goze. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(To rush to speak when one should not speak is called impatience; to keep one’s mouth shut when it is time to speak is called concealment; and to interject at random without looking at others is called lack of discernment.)
86. The gentleman has three precepts: when he is young, his blood is not yet set, so he refrains from sex; when he is strong, his blood is fresh, so he refrains from fighting; and when he is old, his blood is already weakened, so he refrains from gaining. –Excerpt from Confucius’ The Analects of Confucius
(There are three things that a gentleman should guard against: when he is young and his blood is not yet fixed, he should guard against lusting after women; when he is in his prime and his blood is strong, he should guard against fighting; and when he is old and his blood is weak, he should guard against insatiable greed.)
87. Those who are born to know are first; those who learn to know are second; those who are trapped and learn are second; those who are trapped and do not learn, the people are lower. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(He who is born knowing is superior, he who learns after learning is inferior, he who learns after encountering perplexity is again inferior, and he who has perplexity and does not learn, this is the lowest of the low.)
88. A gentleman has nine thoughts: see think bright, hear think smart, color think warm. The appearance of the thought of respect, the words of the thought of loyalty, the matter of the thought of respect, the doubt of the thought of the question, the wrath of the thought of the difficulty, see the thought of the righteousness. –From Confucius’ The Analects of Confucius
(There are nine things a gentleman needs to take into account: to see, consider whether it is clear; to hear, consider whether it is clear; to look, consider whether it is gentle; to look, consider whether it is respectful; to speak, consider whether it is faithful; to act, consider whether it is serious; to doubt, consider whether to ask for advice; to be angry, consider whether it is a backlash; and to have an interest in the present, consider whether it is time to reach out.)
89. Sexuality is close, but habits are far away. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(People’s temperaments were originally similar, but due to environmental customs, they are far apart.)
90, it is not yet gained, suffering from the gain; both gained, suffering from the loss. If you suffer from loss, you will not be able to do anything. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(When he has not obtained an official position, he is afraid of not obtaining it; when he has obtained an official position, he is afraid of losing it.) If he is afraid of losing it, he is capable of doing anything bad.)
91. Only women and small people are difficult to raise, close to them is not inferior, far from them is resentful. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(Only women and villains are the hardest to get along with. If you are close, they say you are not dignified; if you are distant, they will resent you.)
92. The past cannot be admonished, but the future can be pursued. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(What is past can never be saved; what is future may still be made up.)
93. If you know what you have lost in the day and do not forget what you can do in the month, you can be said to be a good learner. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(Knowing something you don’t know every day and not forgetting what you’ve already mastered every month can be considered a hobby of learning.)
94. Learning from the world and being diligent in one’s studies, asking questions and thinking, benevolence is in the midst of it all. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(Study broadly, be attentive, seek advice earnestly, and think much about the practical problems of the day, and benevolence and virtue will be found therein.)
95. There are three changes in a gentleman: to look at him in a dignified manner, to be warm, and to listen to his words in a stern manner. –Extract from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(There are three variations in the impression of a gentleman: solemn and majestic from a distance, gentle and approachable when approached, and serious and unsophisticated when listening to speech.)
96. The great virtues do not exceed the leisure, and the small virtues can be accessed. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(It is not permissible to overstep the boundaries in major festivities, but it is permissible to deviate slightly from them in the smallest details of life.)
97. If one serves, one learns, and if one learns, one serves. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(Once you are a good official, you will have to study if you have any spare capacity.)
98. If you do not promote virtue and faith, how can you be there? How can it be the death? –Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(A man who is fixated on morality and fails to carry it forward, and whose claims of faith are not unwavering, such a man cannot be counted as a man with him, and cannot be counted as a man without him.)
99. Although the path is small, there must be something to see; to the far fear of mud, it is so that the gentleman does not do. –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(There must be something worth seeing even in a small skill. But I’m afraid it’s an impediment to far-reaching endeavors, so a gentleman doesn’t do it.)
100. Zi Zhang said, «What are the five beauties?» Zi said: «Gentlemen benefit without cost, labor without resentment, desire without greed, Thai without pride, and might without ferocity.» …… Zi Zhang said, «What are the four evils?» Zi said, «To kill without teaching is called abuse; to see into without caution is called violence; to slow order to period is called thievery; Judas is also with people, out of the stint, is called the Secretary.» –Excerpt from Confucius’ Analects of Confucius
(Zi Zhang asked, «What are the five virtues?» Confucius said, «A gentleman who exerts favors on the people without spending money; who makes the people toil without complaint; who desires for himself without being greedy; who is peaceful and reserved without being arrogant; and who is majestic without being ferocious.» …… Zi Zhang added, «What are the four evils?» Confucius said, «To kill the head after committing a crime without prior education is called wantonness; to demand results without first admonishing is called brutality; to issue orders late but suddenly meet deadlines is called mutilation; to give rewards to the same people but be stingy with your money is called a financial court that only enters but does not leave.»)
