Popular Confucius Quotes

Confucius was a Chinese thinker, social philosopher, teacher and a political figure. His philosophies and teaching have extremely influenced Korean, Chinese, Japanese, Vietnamese and Taiwanese. His was recognized for his representations of social interaction and admired sayings. Here is a list of some of his great and popular thoughts.

1. “Everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it.” - Confucius
2. “Never impose on others what you would not choose for yourself.” - Confucius
3. “Ignorance is the night of the mind, but a night without moon and star.” - Confucius
4. “Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance.” - Confucius
5. “It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop.” - Confucius
6. “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” - Confucius
7. “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in getting up every time we do.” - Confucius
8. “Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart.” - Confucius
9. “What the superior man seeks is in himself; what the small man seeks is in others.” - Confucius
10. “He who learns but does not think, is lost. He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger.” - Confucius
11. “They must often change who would be constant in happiness or wisdom.” - Confucius
12. “Choose a job you love and you will never have to work a day in your life.” - Confucius
13. “I am not one who was born in the possession of knowledge; I am one who is fond of antiquity, and earnest in seeking it there.” - Confucius
14. “He that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools.” - Confucius
15. “If a man takes no thought about what is distant, he will find sorrow near at hand.” - Confucius
16. “There is the love of knowing without the love of learning; the beclouding here leads to dissipation of mind.” - Confucius
17. “Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous.” - Confucius
18. “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
19. “Recompense injury with justice, and recompense kindness with kindness.” - Confucius
20. “By three methods we may learn wisdom: first, by reflection which is noblest; second, by imitation, which is the easiest; and third, by experience, which is the bitterest.” - Confucius
21. “The cautious seldom err.” - Confucius
22. “To know what you know and what you do not know, that is true knowledge.” - Confucius
23. “A man who has committed a mistake and doesn’t correct it is committing another mistake.” – Confucius
24. “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.” - Confucius
25. “In a country well governed poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a country badly governed wealth is something to be ashamed of.” - Confucius
26. “The superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions.” - Confucius
27. “He who wishes to secure the good of others has already secured his own.” - Confucius
28. “Things that are done, it is needless to speak about…things that are past, it is needless to blame.” - Confucius
29. “It is man that makes truth great, not truth that makes man great.” - Confucius
30. “Virtue is not left to stand alone. He who practices it will have neighbors.” - Confucius
31. “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
32. “What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.” - Confucius
33. “To see the right and not to do it is cowardice.” - Confucius
34. “Forget injuries, never forget kindnesses.” - Confucius
35. “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.” - Confucius
36. “Wisdom, compassion, and courage are the three universally recognized moral qualities of men.” - Confucius
37. “Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without.” - Confucius
38. “The superior man understands what is right; the inferior man understands what will sell.” - Confucius
39. “With coarse rice to eat, with water to drink, and my bended arm for a pillow – I have still joy in the midst of these things. Riches and honors acquired by unrighteousness are to me as a floating cloud.” - Confucius
40. “You don’t love someone for their looks, or their clothes, or for their fancy car, but because they sing a song only you can hear.” - Confucius
41. “Without an acquaintance with the rules of propriety, it is impossible for the character to be established.” - Confucius
42. “The first woman was created from the rib of a man. She was not made from his head to top him nor from his feet to be trampled on by him, but out of his side to be equal to him.” - Confucius
43. “To go beyond is as wrong as to fall short.” - Confucius
44. “The essence of knowledge is, having it, to apply it; not having it, to confess your ignorance.” - Confucius
45. “When you have faults, do not fear to abandon them.” - Confucius
46. “When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.” - Confucius
47. “An oppressive government is more to be feared than a tiger.” - Confucius
48. “The strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the home.” - Confucius
49. “Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” - Confucius
50. “Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.” - Confucius
51. “Silence is a true friend who never betrays.” - Confucius
52. “It is easy to hate and it is difficult to love. This is how the whole scheme of things works. All good things are difficult to achieve; and bad things are very easy to get.” - Confucius
53. “To practice five things under all circumstances constitutes perfect virtue; these five are gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness.” - Confucius
54. “You cannot open a book without learning something.” - Confucius
55. “When prosperity comes, do not use all of it.” - Confucius
56. “People with virtue must speak out; People who speak are not all virtuous.” - Confucius
57. “Questions are the creative acts of intelligence” - Confucius
58. “Man who stand on hill with mouth open will wait long time for roast duck to drop in.” - Confucius
59. “Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous.” - Confucius
60. “When we see men of a contrary character, we should turn inwards and examine ourselves.” - Confucius
61. “To see and listen to the wicked is already the beginning of wickedness.” - Confucius
62. “If you don’t know how to live, why wonder about death?” - Confucius
63. “Worry not that no one knows of you; seek to be worth knowing.” - Confucius
64. “Can there be a love which does not make demands on its object?” - Confucius
65. “Don’t be concerned others not appreciating you. Be concerned about your not appreciating others.” - Confucius
66. “The gentleman understands rightousness, the petty man understands interest.” - Confucius
67. “When anger rises, think of the consequences.” - Confucius
68. “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” - Confucius
69. “When music and courtesy are better understood and appreciated, there will be no war.” - Confucius
70. “If I am walking with two other men, each of them will serve as my teacher. I will pick out the good points of the one and imitate them, and the bad points of the other and correct them in myself.” – Confucius

Above was the list of few famous quotes by Confucius, we hope that you have enjoyed reading them. If you have more Confucius quotes, do feel free to share the same through your comments.