Confucius Men Quotations

The superior man thinks always of virtue; the common man thinks of comfort.

I will not be concerned at other men's not knowing me; I will be concerned at my own want of ability.

Never give a sword to a man who can't dance.

To rule a country of a thousand chariots, there must be reverent attention to business, and sincerity; economy in expenditure, and love for men; and the employment of the people at the proper seasons.

The more man meditates upon good thoughts, the better will be his world and the world at large.

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.

Never contract friendship with a man that is not better than thyself.

The object of the superior man is truth.

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

The end of the day is near when small men make long shadows.

There is nothing impossible in all the world except that the heart of man is wanting in resolution.

The superior man, even when he is not moving, has a feeling of reverence, and while he speaks not, he has the feeling of truthfulness.

The way of the superior man may be compared to what takes place in traveling, when to go to a distance we must first traverse the space that is near, and in ascending a height, when we must begin from the lower ground.

The Path is not far from man. When men try to pursue a course, which is far from the common indications of consciousness, this course cannot be considered The Path.

How great is the path proper to the Sage! Like overflowing water, it sends forth and nourishes all things, and rises up to the height of heaven. All-complete is its greatness! It embraces the three hundred rules of ceremony, and the three thousand rules of demeanor. It waits for the proper man, and then it is trodden. Hence it is said, 'Only by perfect virtue can the perfect path, in all its courses, be made a fact.'

The superior man, when resting in safety, does not forget that danger may come.

The superior man has nothing to compete for. But if he must compete, he does it in an archery match, wherein he ascends to his position, bowing in deference. Descending, he drinks the ritual cup.

The man who in view of gain thinks of righteousness; who in the view of danger is prepared to give up his life; and who does not forget an old agreement however far back it extends - such a man may be reckoned a complete man.

Sincerity is that whereby self-completion is effected, and its way is that by which man must direct himself.

In archery we have something like the way of the superior man. When the archer misses the center of the target, he turns round and seeks for the cause of his failure in himself.

Earnest in practicing the ordinary virtues, and careful in speaking about them, if, in his practice, he has anything defective, the superior man dares not but exert himself; and if, in his words, he has any excess, he dares not allow himself such license.

Without that innate sense of human worth, a man cannot long endure adversity, nor can he long enjoy prosperity.

Men do not stumble over mountains, but over mole hills.

Therefore the superior man is watchful over himself, when he is alone.

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 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.

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.

A good man will certainly also possess courage; but a brave man is not necessarily good.

If a man be under the influence of anger his conduct will not be correct.

While the gentleman cherishes benign rule, the small man cherishes his native land. While the gentleman cherishes a respect for the law, the small man cherishes generous treatment.

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

The superior man is distressed by his want (lack) of ability

The nobler sort of man emphasizes the good qualities in others, and does not accentuate the bad. The inferior does the reverse. . . . The nobler sort of man pays special attention to nine points. He is anxious to see clearly, to hear distinctly, to be kindly in his looks, respectful in his demeanor, conscientious in his speech, earnest in his affairs. When in doubt, he is careful to inquire; when in anger, he thinks of the consequences; when offered an opportunity for gain, he thinks only of his duty.

One who is by nature daring and is suffering from poverty will not long be law-abiding. Indeed, any men, save those that are truly good, if their sufferings are very great, will be likely to rebel.

In antiquity men studied for their own sake; nowadays men study for the sake of impressing others.

Those who do not study are only cattle dressed up in men's clothes.

Baseball is wrong, man with four balls cannot walk

The superior man undergoes three changes. Looked at from a distance, he appears stern; when approached, he is mild; when he is heard to speak, his language is firm and decided.

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.

Men of principle are sure to be bold, but those who are bold may not always be men of principle.

The commander of the forces of a large State may be carried off, but the will of even a common man cannot be taken from him.

The good man does not grieve that other people do not recognize his merits. His only anxiety is lest he should fail to recognize theirs.

Grieve not that men do not know you; grieve that you do not know men.

Let every man consider virtue as what devolves on himself. He may not yield the performance of it even to his teacher.

The gentleman holds justice to be of highest importance. If a gentleman has courage but neglects justice, he becomes insurgent. If an inferior man has courage but neglects justice, he becomes a thief.

Without goodness a man cannot endure adversity for long, nor can he enjoy prosperity for long. The good man is naturally at ease with goodness. The wise man cultivates goodness for its advantage.

The superior man is intelligently, not blindly, faithful.

A man may not transgress the bounds of major morals, but may make errors in minor morals.

The superior man is anxious lest he should not get the truth; he is not anxious lest poverty should come upon him.

When the multitude detests a man, inquiry is necessary; when the multitude likes a man, inquiry is equally necessary.

I have yet to meet a man as fond of high moral conduct as he is of outward appearances.

An angry man is full of poison.

A man should demand much from himself, but little from others. When you meet a man of worth, think how you may attain to his excellence. When you meet an unworthy one, then look within and examine yourself.

The proper man understands equity, the small man profits.

The demands that a great man makes are on himself; those of a petty man are upon others.

That a man lives is because he is straight. That a man who dupes others survives is because he has been fortunate enough to be spared.

A man of humanity is one who, in seeking to establish himself, finds a foothold for others and who, in desiring attaining himself, helps others to attain.

Let a man be stimulated by poetry, established by the rules of propriety, and perfected by music.

The superior man, when resting in safety, does not forget that danger may come. When in a state of security he does not forget the possibility of ruin. When all is orderly, he does not forget that disorder may come. Thus his person is not endangered, and his States and all their clans are preserved.

The superior man has a dignified ease without pride. The mean man has pride without a dignified ease.

He Who Knows And Knows That He Knows Is A Wise Man - Follow Him; He Who Knows Not And Knows Not That He Knows Not Is A Fool - Shun Him

Not to discuss with a man worthy of conversation is to waste the man. To discuss with a man not worthy of conversation is to waste words. The wise waste neither men nor words.

Give a man a fish, feed home for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed for a lifetime.

What can a man do with music who is not benevolent?

A man without persistence will never make a good shaman or a good physician.

The Master said, “What a worthy man was Yan Hui! Living in a narrow alley, subsisting upon meager bits of rice and water—other people could not have borne such hardship, and yet it never spoiled Hui’s joy. What a worthy man was Hui!” (Analects 6.11)

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

He who flatters a man is his enemy. he who tells him of his faults is his maker.

In old days men studied for the sake of self-improvement; nowadays men study in order to impress other people.

There are three things against which the wise man guards: lust when young, quarrels when strong, and covetousness when old.

There may be men who act without understanding why. I do not. To listen much, pick out the good and follow it; to see much and ponder it: this comes next to understanding.

If a superior man abandon virtue, how can he fulfil the requirements of that name?

The superior man is quiet and calm, waiting for the appointments of heaven, while the mean man walks in dangerous paths, looking for lucky occurrences.

In vain I have looked for a single man capable of seeing his own faults and bringing the charge home against himself.

A superior man may be made to go to the well, but he cannot be made to go down into it. He may be imposed upon, but he cannot be fooled.

The small man thinks that small acts of goodness are of no benefit, and does not do them; and that small deeds of evil do no harm, and does not refrain from them. Hence, his wickedness becomes so great that it cannot be concealed, and his guilt so great that it cannot be pardoned.

A wise man has dignity without pride; a fool has pride without dignity.

For one word a man is often deemed to be wise, and for one word he is often deemed to be foolish. We should be careful indeed what we say.

If a man remembers what is right at the sign of profit, is ready to lay down his life in the face of danger, and does not forget sentiments he has repeated all his life when he has been in straitened circumstances for a long time, he may be said to be a complete man.

Possessed of courage but devoid of morality, a superior man will make trouble while a small man will be a brigand.

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.

When a man's knowledge is sufficient to attain, and his virtue is not sufficient to enable him to hold, whatever he may have gained, he will lose again.

Of course you want to be rich and famous. It's natural. Wealth and fame are what every man desires. The question is: What are you willing to trade for it?

A common man marvels at uncommon things. A wise man marvels at the commonplace.

The superior man... does not set his mind either for or against anything, he will pursue whatever is right. The superior man thinks of virtue, the common man of comfort.

A great man is hard on himself; a small man is hard on others.

Man who want pretty nurse, must be patient.

The superior man cannot be known in little matters, but he may be entrusted with great concerns. The small man may not be entrusted with great concerns, but he may be known in little matters.

Great as heaven and earth are, men still find some things in them with which to be dissatisfied. Thus it is that, were the superior man to speak of his way in all its greatness, nothing in the world would be found able to embrace it, and were he to speak of it in its minuteness, nothing in the world would be found able to split it.

A superior man in dealing with the world is not for anything or against anything. He follows righteousness as the standard.

If a man takes no thought about what is distant, he will find sorrow near at hand.

The man of wisdom is never of two minds; the man of benevolence never worries; the man of courage is never afraid.

The Man who says he can, and the man who says he can not.. Are both correct

The superior man is slow in his words and earnest in his conduct.

A man of wisdom delights in water.

You can cheat an honest man but not make a fool out of him.

A wise man seeks by music to strengthen his soul: the thoughtless one uses it to stifle his fears.

When a man comes to me, I accept him at his best, not at his worst. Why make so much ado? When a man washes his hands before paying a visit, and you receive him in that clean state, you do not thereby stand surety for his always having been clean in the past.

A good man is not mine to see. Could I see a man possessed of constancy, that would satisfy me.

I used to take on trust a man's deeds after having listened to his words. Now having listened to a man's words I go on to observe his deeds.