Confucius
Confucius
Confucius was a Chinese teacher, editor, politician, and philosopher of the Spring and Autumn period of Chinese history...
NationalityChinese
ProfessionPhilosopher
CountryChina
ruins virtue profession
Those who make virtue their profession are the ruin of virtue.
justice faults serious
Just as lavishness leads easily to presumption, so does frugality to meanness. But meanness is a far less serious fault than presumption.
teacher teaching may
Be versed in ancient lore, and familiarize yourself with the modern; then may you become teachers.
men difficulty cautious
When a man feels the difficulty of doing, can he be other than cautious and slow in speaking?
sacrifice men parent
The superior man, while his parents are alive, reverently nourishes them; and, when they are dead, reverently sacrifices to them. His thought to the end of his life is how not to disgrace them.
caring knowing strive
Rather than caring about whether or not you are known, strive to be worth knowing.
punishment expectations gossip
If one leads them with administrative measures and uses punishments to make them conform, the people will be evasive, but if one leads them with virtue, they will come up to expectations.
used said
I used to listen to what others said, and expect them to act accordingly. But nowadays, I listen to what they say, and then observe what they do.
wise heart men
We should feel sorrow, but not sink under its oppression; the heart of a wise man should resemble a mirror, which reflects every object without being sullied by any
worry benevolence persons
The person of benevolence never worries.
errors may reform
To err and not reform, this may indeed be called error.
education teacher teaching
Teachers open the door ... you enter by yourself.
ambition men may
From the loving example of one family a whole State may become loving, and from its courtesies, courteous; while from the ambition and perverseness of the one man the whole State may be thrown into rebellious disorder. Such is the nature of influence.
character men practice
To be fond of learning is to draw close to wisdom. To practice with vigor is to draw close to benevolence. To know the sense of shame is to draw close to courage. He who knows these three things knows how to cultivate his own character. Knowing how to cultivate his own character, he knows how to govern other men. Knowing how to govern other men, he knows how to govern the world, its states, and its families.