Confucius
Chinese philosopher, founder of Confucianism
Sayings by Confucius
The superior man has a proper pride, but is not proud.
I have never seen anyone who loved virtue as much as they loved sex.
If a man takes no thought about what is distant, he will find sorrow near at hand.
The wise find pleasure in water; the virtuous find pleasure in hills.
The gentleman is calm and at ease; the small man is fretful and ill at ease.
He who speaks without modesty will find it difficult to make his words good.
To be poor without murmuring is difficult; to be rich without being proud is easy.
The superior man is distressed by his want of ability; he is not distressed by men’s not knowing him.
The superior man is easy to serve but difficult to please; the inferior man is difficult to serve but easy to please.
The superior man is slow in speech but quick in action.
The superior man is satisfied with himself; the inferior man seeks to please others.
Women and people of low birth are very hard to deal with. If you are friendly with them, they get out of hand, and if you keep your distance, they resent it.
The people may be made to follow a path of action, but they may not be made to understand it.
The superior man is dignified but does not wrangle.
The superior man is satisfied and composed; the inferior man is always full of distress.
The funniest thing is that I am often asked to arbitrate disputes, but I am no judge. I just make people agree to disagree. It works surprisingly often.
To be fond of learning is near to wisdom. To practice with vigor is near to benevolence. To have the feeling of shame is near to courage. He who knows these three things knows how to cultivate his own character. He who knows how to cultivate his own character knows how to govern other men. He who knows how to govern other men knows how to govern the kingdom with all its States and families.
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.
It is not the failure of others to appreciate your abilities that should trouble you, but rather your own failure to appreciate theirs.
The cautious seldom err.