Confucius Gentleman Quotations

A gentleman would be ashamed should his deeds not match his words.

The gentleman is calm and at ease. The gentleman is dignified but not proud; the small man is proud but not dignified.

A gentleman can see a question from all sides without bias. The small man is biased and can see a question only from one side.

The gentleman has nine cares. In seeing he is careful to see clearly; in hearing he is careful to hear distinctly; in his looks he is careful to be kind, in his manner to be respectful, in his words to be sincere, in his work to be diligent. When in doubt he is careful to ask for information; when angry he has a care for the consequences; and when he sees a chance for gain, he thinks carefully whether the pursuits of it would be right.

In his dealings with the world, the gentleman is not invariably for or against anything. He is on the side of what is moral.

The Master said, “The gentleman understands what is right, whereas the petty man understands profit.” (Analects 4.16)

Gentlemen cherish worth; the vulgar cherish dirt. Gentlemen trust in justice; the vulgar trust in favor.

A gentleman is calm and spacious: the vulgar are always fretting.

A gentleman wishes to be slow to speak and quick to act.

The gentleman prefers to be slow in word but diligent in action.

If the gentleman is not serious, he will not be respected, and his learning will not be on a firm foundation. He considers loyalty and faithfulness to be fundamental, has no friends who are not like him, and when he has made mistakes, he is not afraid of correcting them.

A true gentleman makes demands upon himself but not upon others.

Gentlemen should not waste their time on trivial games -- they should play go[3]

A gentleman considers what is right; the vulgar consider what will pay.

A gentleman, in his plans, thinks of the Way; he does not think how he is going to make a living. Even farming sometimes has a shortage; and even learning may incidentally bring a salary. A gentleman is concerned with the progress of the Way; he is not anxious about poverty.

The Master said, “A true gentleman is one who has set his heart upon the Way. A fellow who is ashamed merely of shabby clothing or modest meals is not even worth conversing with.” (Analects 4.9)

A gentleman is ashamed to let his words outrun his deeds.

The gentleman calls attention to the good points in others; he does not call attention to their defects. The small man does just the reverse of this.

The gentleman sees what is right while the small man sees what is profitable.

A gentleman does not promote a man on account of what he says; nor does he reject sayings, because the speaker is what he is.

The gentleman desires to be halting in speech but quick in action.

A gentleman considers justice to be essential in everything. He practices it according to the principles of propriety. He brings it forth in modesty and faithfully completes it. This is indeed a gentleman.