Life Confucius Quotes & Sayings

Buddha, Confucius, or Socrates can bring us good teaching, moral excellence, and religious philosophy. For this they may be commended as rendering help and aid to humanity. But Jesus Christ is different: He brings us Himself as our Life. — Chip Brogden

If I am building a mountain and stop before the last basketful of earth is placed on the summit, I have failed. — Confucius

Not knowing life, how can we know death? Why talk of spirits when you do not understand men? — Confucius

If there were one word that could act as a standard of conduct for one's entire life, perhaps it would be 'thoughtfulness. — Confucius

Learn as though you would never be able to master it; hold it as though you would be in fear of losing it. — Confucius

If a man withdraws his mind from the love of beauty, and applies it as sincerely to the love of the virtuous; if, in serving his parents, he can exert his utmost strength; if, in serving his prince, he can devote his life; if in his intercourse with his friends, his words are sincere - although men say that he has not learned, I will certainly say that he has. — Confucius

Consideration for others is the basis of a good life, a good society. — Confucius

To study and constantly, is this not a pleasure? To have friends come from far away places, is this not a joy? If people do not recognize your worth, but this does not worry you, are you not a true gentleman? — Confucius

Is there any one maxim which ought to be acted upon throughout one's whole life? Surely the maxim of loving kindness is such: Do not unto others what you would not they should do unto you. — Confucius

When you have faults, do not fear to abandon them. — Confucius

Humanity is an organism, inherently rejecting all that is deleterious, that is, wrong, and absorbing after trial what is beneficial, that is, right. If so disposed, the Architect of the Universe, we must assume, might have made the world and man perfect, free from evil and from pain, as angels in heaven are thought to be; but although this was not done, man has been given the power of advancement rather than of retrogression. The Old and New Testaments remain, like other sacred writings of other lands, of value as records of the past and for such good lessons as they inculcate. Like the ancient writers of the Bible our thoughts should rest upon this life and our duties here. "To perform the duties of this world well, troubling not about another, is the prime wisdom," says Confucius, great sage and teacher. The next world and its duties we shall consider when we are placed in it. — Andrew Carnegie

Love is like a spice. It can sweeten your life - however, it can spoil it, too. — Confucius

There is a certain proper and luxurious way of lying in bed. Confucius, that great artist of life, "never lay straight" in bed, "like a corpse", but always curled up on one side. I believe one of the greatest pleasures of life is to curl up one's legs in bed. The posture of the arms is also very important, in order to reach the greatest degree of aesthetic pleasure and mental power. I believe the best posture is not lying flat on the bed, but being upholstered with big soft pillows at an angle of thirty degrees with either one arm or both arms placed behind the back of one's head. — Lin Yutang

Man is born with uprightness. If one loses it, he will be lucky if he escapes with his life. — Confucius

To rank the effort above the prize may be called love. — Confucius

When abroad, behaveto everyone as if interviewing an honored guest; in directing the people, act as if you were assisting at a great sacrafice; DO NOT DO TO OTHERS AS YOU WOULD NOT LIKE DONE TO YOURSELF: so there will be no murmuring against you in the country, and none in the family; your public life will arouse no ill-will nor your private life any resentment. — Confucius

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

When things are investigated, then true knowledge is achieved; when true knowledge is achieved, then the will becomes sincere; when the will is sincere, then the heart is set right ; when the heart is set right, then the personal life is cultivated; when the personal life is cultivated, then the family life is regulated; when the family life is regulated, then the national life is orderly; and when the national life is orderly, then there is peace in this world. — Confucius

Here is an example of Confucius sayings: "It does not matter how slowly you go so long as you do not stop." In a few words, Confucius teaches us about patience, perseverance, discipline, and hard work. But if you probe further, you will see more layers. Confucius' philosophies have significantly influenced spiritual and social thought. His views bear insight and depth of wisdom. You can apply his teachings in every sphere of life. Confucius' profound teachings are based on humanism. — Confucius

It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop. — 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

Heaven gives long life to the just and the intelligent. — Confucius

The expectations of life depend upon diligence; the mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools. — Confucius

The man who asks may be a fool for the day but the man who never asks will be a fool for life. — Confucius

Accept success as a good thing, and invite it into your life.
Set today as the starting point for a new life.
Every race starts at one point.
Every building starts with one stone.
Every great work, every dream, every great achievement starts somewhere.
The march of a thousand miles begins with one step, said Confucius.
Everyone, absolutely everyone, have to start the walk somewhere.
It does not matter where you are right now.
It does not matter if you are a student, a professional, a housewife, a peasant coming to the city looking for a better life.
It does not matter if you are unemployed and out of work (or as I like to refer to it: awaiting for a really wonderful and transformative life experience that I was not having in my former employment).
What matters is not if you have a lot or have a little; but what you decide to do with what you have. — Mauricio Chaves Mesen

I do not remember anything which Confucius has said directly respecting man's "origin, purpose, and destiny." He was more practical than that. He is full of wisdom applied to human relations,
to the private life,
the family,
government, etc. It is remarkable that, according to his own account, the sum and substance of his teaching is, as you know, to do as you would be done by. — Henry David Thoreau

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. — Confucius

Where words lose their meaning, people lose their lives. — Confucius

The most beautiful sight in the world is a little child going confidently down the road of life after you have shown him the way. — Confucius

I slept and dreamt life is beauty, I woke and found life is duty. — Confucius

We can no longer rely on the external teachings of Buddha, Confucius, or Christ. The era of organized religion controlling every aspect of life is over. No single religion has all the answers. Construction of shrine and temple buildings is not enough. Establish yourself as a living buddha image. We all should be transformed into goddesses of compassion or victorious buddhas. — John Stevens

Learn as if you were not reaching your goal and as though you were scared of missing it — Confucius

No lake so still but it has its wave.
No circle so perfect but that it has its blur.
I would change things for you if I could; As I can't you must take them as they are. — Confucius

When we talked about "A Modest Proposal" I felt like I was running circles around everybody. I understood that shit better than the professor 'cause he was just a fan. I wasn't an Irishman, but I knew how it felt to have someone standing over you, controlling your life and wanting to call it something else. From the people at the Christian Fellowship to First Academy to my parents to Confucius to thousands of years of ass-backwards Chinese thinking, I knew how it felt. Everything my parents did to me and their parents did to them was justified under the banner of Tradition, Family, and Culture. And when it wasn't them it was someone impressing Christianity onto me and when it wasn't Christianity it was whiteness. — Eddie Huang

The man who loves his job never works a day in his life. — Confucius

Don't worry if you have no position: worry about making yourself worthy of one. Don't worry if you aren't known and admired: devote yourself to a life that deserves admiration. — Confucius

We can know a person by observing his behaviour, understanding the reasons for his actions and ascertaining his intentions. If we do this, how can we not know him? — Confucius

The man of upright life is obeyed before he speaks. — Confucius

To know what is right and not to do it is the worst cowardice. — Confucius

Man who eat many prunes get good run for money. — Confucius

There are three things to beware of through life: when a man is young, let him beware of his appetites; when he is middle-aged, of his passions; and when old, of covetousness, especially. — Confucius

To know everything is to know nothing, but to know nothing is to know everything. — Confucius

Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated. — Confucius

Your life is what your thoughts make it. — Confucius

If I understand Change, I shall make no great mistake in Life — Confucius

As the innocent infant relies upon the mother for sustenance, so the innocent wanderer, following his native compassion and bliss, relies upon the natural intelligence of life to sustain him. There are various Ways. There is the Way of salvation by the law of Buddha, the Way of Confucius governing the Way of learning, the Way of healing as a doctor, as a poet teaching the Way of Waka, tea, archery, and many arts and skills. Each man practices as he feels inclined. — Miyamoto Musashi

If you don't know the life yet, how could be possible for you to know the death? — Confucius

Do not worry if others do not understand you. Instead worry if you do not understand others. — Confucius

If a man in the morning hear the right way, he may die in the evening without regret. — Confucius

There is only one thing in life which never changes, and it is change. — Confucius

If you devote your life to seeking revenge, first dig two graves. — Confucius

You do not understand even life. How can you understand death? — Confucius

Like Confucius of old, I am so absorbed in the wonder of the earth and the life upon it, that I cannot think of heaven and the angels. — Pearl S. Buck

There is a war out there, and believe me, Fly, it was never really between Jews, Muslims, Hindus, Crusaders and Confucius. The final battle is between those who love, respect, and liberate the body and those who hate it — Rawi Hage

He who is concerned only with the purity of his own life ruins the great human relations. — Confucius

Look for an occupation that you like, and you will not need to labor for a single day in your life. — Confucius

He remembered the old Chinese proverb, sometimes ascribed to Confucius: If you sit by the river for long enough, the body of your enemy will float by. — Salman Rushdie

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. — Confucius

If some years were added to my life, I would give fifty to the study of the Yi, and then I might come to be without great faults. — Confucius

If we don't know life, how can we know death? — Confucius

Those who break down the dikes will themselves be drowned in the inundation. — Confucius

If you shoot for the stars and hit the moon, it's OK. But you've got to shoot for something. A lot of people don't even shoot. — Confucius

To put the world in order, we must first put the nation in order; to put the nation in order, we must first put the family in order; to put the family in order; we must first cultivate our personal life; we must first set our hearts right. — Confucius

Forget injuries, never forget kindnesses. — Confucius

For benefits return benefits; for injuries return justice without any admixture of revenge. — 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

Death and life have their determined appointments; riches and honors depend upon heaven. — Confucius

The true gentleman does not preach what he practices till he has practiced what he preaches. — Confucius

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. — Confucius

A man whose strength gives out collapses along the course. In your case you set the limits beforehand. — Confucius

While you are not able to serve men, how can you serve spirits of the dead ... While you do not know life, how can you know about death — Confucius

There is one word which may serve as a rule of practice for all one's life -reciprocity. — Confucius

The history of early-medieval Arabia is nearly all legend. Like Buddha, Confucius, Jesus, and other founders of patriarchal religions, Mohammed lacks real verification. There is no reliable information about his life or teachings. Most stories about him are as apocryphal as the story that his coffin hangs forever in mid-air "between heaven and earth," like the bodies of ancient sacred kings. — Barbara G. Walker