89 Confucius Quotes and sayings
Looking for the best Confucius quotes and sayings? We’ve compiled a list of top famous Confucius quotes and sayings on love, life, happiness, success, failure, and more.
Confucius Quotes
- “If you are the smartest person in the room, then you are in the wrong room.” – Confucius
- “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Confucius
- “Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without.” – Confucius
- “You are what you think.” – Confucius
- “When you see a good person, think of becoming like her/him. When you see someone not so good, reflect on your own weak points.” – Confucius
- “I slept and dreamt life is beauty, I woke and found life is duty.” – Confucius
- “To be wronged is nothing, unless you continue to remember it.” – Confucius
- “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” – Confucius
- “By nature, men are nearly alike; by practice, they get to be wide apart.” – Confucius
- “Learn as if you were not reaching your goal and as though you were scared of missing it.” – Confucius
Confucius Inspiring Short Quotes
- “Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change.” – Confucius
- “Study the past if you would define the future.” – Confucius
- “Never contract friendship with a man that is not better than thyself.” – Confucius
- “He who knows all the answers has not been asked all the questions.” – Confucius
- “Those who cannot forgive others break the bridge over which they themselves must pass.” – Confucius
- “Those who know the truth are not equal to those who love it.” – Confucius
- “The superior man thinks always of virtue; the common man thinks of comfort.” – Confucius
- “The superior man acts before he speaks, and afterwards speaks according to his action.” – Confucius
- “The man who says he can and the man who says he can not… are both correct.” – Confucius
- “Your life is what your thoughts make it.” – Confucius
Motivational Confucius Quotes
- “Looking at small advantages prevents great affairs from being accomplished.” – Confucius
- “All people are the same; only their habits differ.” – Confucius
- “Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous.” – Confucius
- “Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire.” – Confucius
- “The superior man does not, even for the space of a single meal, act contrary to virtue. In moments of haste, he cleaves to it. In seasons of danger, he cleaves to it.” – Confucius
- “Learn advidly. Question it repeatedly. Analyze it carefully. Then put what you have learned into practice intelligently.” – Confucius
- “We have two lives, and the second begins when we realize we only have one.” – Confucius
- “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.” – Confucius
- “Go before the people with your example, and be laborious in their affairs.” – Confucius
- “The superior man makes the difficulty to be overcome his first interest; success only comes later.” – Confucius
Confucius Quotes
- “If you make a mistake and do not correct it, this is called a mistake.” – Confucius
- “Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace.” – Confucius
- “To go beyond is as wrong as to fall short.” – Confucius
- “If you think in terms of a year, plants a seed; if in terms of ten years, plant trees; and if in terms of 100 years, teach the people.” – Confucius
- “Be strict with yourself but least reproachful of others and complaint is kept afar.” – Confucius
- “When anger rises, think of the consequences.” – Confucius
- “To know what you know and what you do not know, that is true knowledge.” – Confucius
- “Roads were made for journeys not destinations.” – Confucius
- “What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.” – Confucius
- “Death and life have their determined appointments; riches and honors depend upon heaven.” – Confucius
Inspirational Confucius Quotes
- “If you look into your own heart, and you find nothing wrong there, what is there to worry about? What is there to fear?” – Confucius
- “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.” – Confucius
- “A superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions.” – Confucius
- “They must often change who would remain constant in happiness and wisdom.” – Confucius
- “Don’t complain about the snow on your neighbor’s roof when your own doorstep is unclean.” – Confucius
- “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” – Confucius
- “Virtue is not left to stand alone. He who practices it will have neighbors.” – Confucius
- “A lion chased me up a tree, and I greatly enjoyed the view from the top.” – Confucius
- “Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes.” – Confucius
- “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” – Confucius
Best Confucius Quotes
- “No matter how busy you make think you are you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance.” – Confucius
- “Think of tomorrow, the past can’t be mended.” – Confucius
- “Respect yourself and others will respect you.” – Confucius
- “To see the right and not to do it is cowardice.” – Confucius
- “Virtuous people often revenge themselves for the constraints to which they submit by the boredom which they inspire.” – Confucius
- “He who acts with a constant view to his own advantage will be much murmured against.” – Confucius
- “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.” – Confucius
- “To see what is right and not to do it is want of courage, or of principle.” – Confucius
- “The object of the superior man is truth.” – Confucius
- “When you have faults, do not fear to abandon them.” – Confucius
Confucius Quotes
- “If we don’t know life, how can we know death?” – Confucius
- “The expectations of life depend upon diligence; the mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools.” – Confucius
- “He who speaks without modesty will find it difficult to make his words good.” – Confucius
- “Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.” – Confucius
- “The more man meditates upon good thoughts; the better will be his world and the world at large.” – Confucius
- “Without feelings of respect, what is there to distinguish men from beasts?” – Confucius
- “You cannot open a book without learning something.” – Confucius
- “A gentleman would be ashamed should his deeds not match his words.” – Confucius
- “When a person should be spoken with, and you don’t speak with them, you lose them. When a person shouldn’t be spoken with and you speak to them, you waste your breath. The wise do not lose people, nor do they waste their breath.” – Confucius
- “To see and listen to the wicked is already the beginning of wickedness.” – Confucius
Famous Confucius Quotes
- “Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” – Confucius
- “Give a bowl of rice to a man and you will feed him for a day. Teach him how to grow his own rice and you will save his life.” – Confucius
- “Study the past, if you would divine the future.” – Confucius
- “It is more shameful to distrust our friends than to be deceived by them.” – Confucius
- “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” – Confucius
- “Silence is a true friend who never betrays.” – Confucius
- “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 bitterest.” – Confucius
- “Wisdom, compassion, and courage are the three universally recognized moral qualities of men.” – Confucius
- “I want you to be everything that’s you, deep at the center of your being.” – Confucius
- “Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.” – Confucius
Confucius Quotes
- “Act with kindness but do not expect gratitude.” – Confucius
- “Worry not that no one knows you; seek to be worth knowing.” – Confucius
- “The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” – Confucius
- “When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.” – Confucius
- “The essence of knowledge is, having it, to use it.” – Confucius
- “One joy dispels a hundred cares.” – Confucius
- “Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance.” – Confucius
- “The man who asks a question is a fool for a minute, the man who does not ask is a fool for life.” – Confucius
- “The journey with 1000 miles begins with one step.” – Confucius
