Ten Quotes from Confucius

Whenever I feel like quoting an ancient philosopher, the first name that comes to my mind is that of Confucius. But for a figure whose influence in Chinese history has been compared with that of Socrates in the West, I was surprised to learn that it is hard to separate which accounts of Confucius' life are fact and which ones are fiction.

Another revelation from my research: Confucius' admission that he was simply “a transmitter and not a maker” of his teachings. According to him, his teachings are really lessons transmitted from antiquity.( You can read more about Confucius here). Whatever the source of his teachings, I still like them--deceptively simple but very profound, just like the following:

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.

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Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.

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You cannot open a book without learning something.

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Wisdom, compassion, and courage are the three universally recognized moral qualities of men.

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To know, is to know that you know nothing. That is the meaning of true knowledge.

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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.

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The strength of a nation derives from the integrity of the home.

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The superior man acts before he speaks, and afterwards speaks according to his action.

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The faults of a superior person are like the sun and moon. They have their faults, and everyone sees them; they change and everyone looks up to them.

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Study the past, if you would divine the future.

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