101 of the Best Confucius Quotes and Sayings to Motivate and Inspire You
Have you ever heard the famous quote, “You are what you think,” or how about the saying, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life”? If so, then you’re familiar with Confucius quotes, even if you didn’t realize it.
So who was Confucius?
Confucius was a Chinese philosopher in the 6th century BCE. And while he may have been alive thousands of years ago, thanks to the collection of inspiring and timeless words he left behind, people still know him today and turn to his phrases for guidance. To give you more insight into Confucius and why people are so obsessed with him, we’ve gathered 101 Confucius quotes and sayings to better understand what "Confucius say."
While you’re reading through them, you’ll see that his words of wisdom can be applied to so many situations, which is why they remain popular today. So the next time you want insight on something you’re dealing with, find yourself feeling down, need some random encouragement or just want help looking deeper into something, see if one of these 101 Confucius quotes and sayings is right for you.
101 Confucius Quotes and Sayings
1. “Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” — Confucius
2. “We should feel sorrow, but not sink under its oppression.” — Confucius
3. “And remember, no matter where you go, there you are.” — Confucius
4. “To be wealthy and honored in an unjust society is a disgrace.” — Confucius
5. “Roads were made for journeys, not destinations.” — Confucius
6. “To go beyond is as wrong as to fall short.” — Confucius
7. “The way you cut your meat reflects the way you live.” — Confucius
8. “Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance.” — Confucius
9. “Desire to have things done quickly prevents their being done thoroughly.”— Confucius
10. “Three things cannot long be hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.”— Confucius
11. “The object of the superior man is truth.” —Confucius
12.“What you do not wish upon yourself, extend not to others.” — Confucius
13. “A man of wisdom delights in water.” — Confucius
14. “Learn as if you were not reaching your goal and as though you were scared of missing it.” —Confucius
15. “To practice five things under all circumstances constitutes perfect virtue; these five are gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness.”— Confucius
16. “To understand yourself is the key to wisdom.” — Confucius
17. “Sincerity is the way of heaven.” — Confucius
18. “First there must be order and harmony within your own mind. Then this order will spread to your family, then to the community, and finally to your entire kingdom. Only then can you have peace and harmony.” — Confucius
19. “When anger rises, think of the consequences.” — Confucius
20. “A lack of patience in trifling matters might lead to the disruption of great project.” — Confucius
Related: 101 Buddha Quotes
21. “Straight-forwardness, without the rules of propriety, becomes rudeness.”— Confucius
22. “Love is like a spice. It can sweeten your life - however, it can spoil it, too.”— Confucius
23. “The true gentleman does not preach what he practices till he has practiced what he preaches.” — Confucius
24. “It is man that makes truth great, not truth that makes man great.” — Confucius
25. “Silence is a true friend who never betrays.” — Confucius
26. “Faithfulness and sincerity are the highest things.” — Confucius
27. “The journey with a 1000 miles begins with one step.” — Confucius
28. “Learn avidly. Question it repeatedly. Analyze it carefully. Then put what you have learned into practice intelligently.” — Confucius
29. “Base yourself in loyalty and trust. Don't be a companion with those who are not your moral equal. When you make a mistake, don't hesitate to correct it.”— Confucius
30. “Anyone can find the switch after the lights are on.” — Confucius
31. “Sincerity is that whereby self-completion is effected, and its way is that by which man must direct himself.” — Confucius
32. “One joy dispels a hundred cares.” — Confucius
33. “Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.” — Confucius
34. “To love a thing means wanting it to live.” — Confucius
35. “A lion chased me up a tree, and I greatly enjoyed the view from the top.”— Confucius
36. “Study the past, if you would divine the future.” — Confucius
37. “Can there be a love which does not make demands on its object?” — Confucius
38. “He who speaks without modesty will find it difficult to make his words good.” — Confucius
39. “If you try to do too much, you will not achieve anything.” — Confucius
40. “True goodness springs from a man's own heart. All men are born good.”— Confucius
41. “You can successfully force people to follow a certain course, but you cannot force them to understand it.” — Confucius
42. “The man who asks a question is a fool for a minute, the man who does not ask is a fool for life.” — Confucius
43. “The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.”— Confucius
44. “The superior man is satisfied and composed; the mean man is always full of distress.” — Confucius
45. “Do not let a leader lead you on a bad path.” — Confucius
46. “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
47. “Music produces a kind of pleasure which human nature cannot do without.”— Confucius
48. “Ah, music, sacred tongue of God! I hear thee calling and I come.” — Confucius
49. “You are what you think.” — Confucius
50. “He who conquers himself is the mightiest warrior.” — Confucius
51. “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”— Confucius
52. “They must often change who would remain constant in happiness and wisdom.” — Confucius
53. “Knowing something is not as good as liking it. Liking something is not as good as rejoicing in it.” — Confucius
54. “Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes.” — Confucius
55. “The more man meditates upon good thoughts, the better will be his world and the world at large.” — Confucius
56. “I slept and dreamt life is beauty, I woke and found life is duty.” — Confucius
57. “No matter how busy you make think you are you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance.” — Confucius