Welcome to the best Confucius quotes collection around.
Confucius is widely considered as one of the most important and influential individuals in shaping human history. His teaching and philosophy greatly impacted people around the world and remains influential today.
Confucius (551–479 BC) was a Chinese teacher, editor, politician, and philosopher of the Spring and Autumn period of Chinese history.
The philosophy of Confucius, also known as Confucianism, emphasized personal and governmental morality, correctness of social relationships, justice and sincerity.
His principles have commonality with Chinese tradition and belief and he embraced the well-known principle “Do not do unto others what you do not want done to yourself”, the Golden Rule.
I’ve put together the best Confucius quotes that also act as life lessons to help you live an inspired and successful life.
I hope these Confucius quotes will help you learn from the inspiring teacher, ultimately making the world a better place in the process.
Top 100 Confucius Quotes
1. “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.” – Confucius
2. “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.” – Confucius
3. “Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.” – Confucius
4. “To know what you know and what you do not know, that is true knowledge.” – Confucius
5. “You cannot open a book without learning something.” – Confucius
6. “The expectations of life depend upon diligence; the mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools.” – Confucius
7. “Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire.” – Confucius
8. “A superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions.” – Confucius
9. “We should feel sorrow, but not sink under its oppression.” – Confucius
10. “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
11. “Never contract friendship with a man that is not better than thyself.” – Confucius
12. “Speak the truth, do not yield to anger; give, if thou art asked for little; by these three steps thou wilt go near the gods.” – Confucius
13. “To know what is right and not do it is the worst cowardice.” – Confucius
14. “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
15. “Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.” – Confucius
16. “When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don’t adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.” – Confucius
17. “Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.” – Confucius
18. “Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” – Confucius
19. “The more man meditates upon good thoughts, the better will be his world and the world at large.” – Confucius
20. “When anger rises, think of the consequences.” – Confucius
21. “To be wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it.” – Confucius
22. “I want you to be everything that’s you, deep at the center of your being.” – Confucius
23. “The superior man acts before he speaks, and afterwards speaks according to his action.” – Confucius
24. “When you are laboring for others let it be with the same zeal as if it were for yourself.” – Confucius
25. “Study the past, if you would divine the future.” – Confucius
26. “To see and listen to the wicked is already the beginning of wickedness.” – Confucius
27. “The man who asks a question is a fool for a minute, the man who does not ask is a fool for life.” – Confucius
28. “Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.” – Confucius
29. “Respect yourself and others will respect you.” – Confucius
30. “The man who says he can, and the man who says he can’t are both correct.” – Confucius
31. “If you make a mistake and do not correct it, this is called a mistake.” – Confucius
32. “Your life is what your thoughts make it.” – Confucius
33. “The journey with a 1000 miles begins with one step.” – Confucius
34. “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.” – Confucius
35. “You are what you think.” – Confucius
36. “Learn advidly. Question it repeatedly. Analyze it carefully. Then put what you have learned into practice intelligently.” – Confucius
37. “We have two lives, and the second begins when we realize we only have one.” – Confucius
38. “If you are the smartest person in the room, then you are in the wrong room.” – Confucius
39. “Act with kindness but do not expect gratitude.” – Confucius
40. “Worry not that no one knows you; seek to be worth knowing.” – Confucius
41. “The essence of knowledge is, having it, to use it.” – Confucius
42. “They must often change who would remain constant in happiness and wisdom.” – Confucius
43. “Be not ashamed of mistakes and thus make them crimes.” – Confucius
44. “No matter how busy you may think you are you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance.” – Confucius
45. “Think of tomorrow, the past can’t be mended.” – Confucius
46. “Those who cannot forgive others break the bridge over which they themselves must pass.” – Confucius
47. “When you have faults, do not fear to abandon them.” – Confucius
48. “When a person should be spoken with, and you don’t speak with them, you lose them. When a person shouldn’t be spoken with and you speak to them, you waste your breath. The wise do not lose people, nor do they waste their breath.” – Confucius
49. “Imagination is more important than knowledge.” – Confucius
50. “A common man marvels at uncommon things. A wise man marvels at the commonplace.” – Confucius
Enjoying these Confucius Quotes? Then I’m sure you’ll like these Lao Tzu Quotes too!
51. “The gem cannot be polished without friction nor man without trials.” – Confucius
52. “Forget injuries, never forget kindness.” – Confucius
53. “What the superior man seeks is in himself; what the small man seeks is in others.” – Confucius
54. “A fool despises good counsel, but a wise man takes it to heart.” – Confucius
55. “The superior man, when resting in safety, does not forget that danger may come. When in a state of security he does not forget the possibility of ruin. When all is orderly, he does not forget that disorder may come. Thus his person is not endangered, and his States and all their clans are preserved.” – Confucius
56. “It is not the failure of others to appreciate your abilities that should trouble you, but rather your failure to appreciate theirs.” – Confucius
57. “If you are courteous, you will not be disrespected; if you are generous, you will gain everything. If you are honest, people will rely on you. If you are persistent you will get results. If you are kind, you can employ people.” – Confucius
58. “If there is righteousness in the heart, there will be beauty in the character. If there is beauty in the character, there will be harmony in the home. If there is harmony in the home, there will be order in the nations. When there is order in the nations, there will peace in the world.” – Confucius
59. “Be loyal and trustworthy. Do not befriend anyone who is lower than yourself in this regard.” – Confucius
60. “Expect much from yourself and little from others and you will avoid incurring resentments.” – Confucius
61. “The perfecting of one’s self is the fundamental base of all progress and all moral development.” – Confucius
62. “These are the four abuses: desire to succeed in order to make oneself famous; taking credit for the labors of others; refusal to correct one’s errors despite advice; refusal to change one’s ideas despite warnings.” – Confucius
63. “It is difficult to inspire others to accomplish what you haven’t been willing to try.” – Confucius
64. “Remember, no matter where you go, there you are.” – Confucius
65. “Those people who develop the ability to continuously acquire new and better forms of knowledge that they can apply to their work and to their lives will be the movers and shakers in our society for the indefinite future.” – Confucius
66. “When prosperity comes, do not use all of it.” – Confucius
67. “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
68. “Consideration for others is the basic of a good life, a good society.” – Confucius
69. “He who chases two rabbits, catches none.” – Confucius
70. “In speaking, it is best to be clear and say just enough to convey the meaning.” – Confucius
71. “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
72. “Exemplary persons are steadfast in the face of adversity, while petty persons are engulfed by it.” – Confucius
73. “A great man is hard on himself; a small man is hard on others.” – Confucius
74. “It is better not to proceed at all than to proceed without purpose.” – Confucius
75. “A man is great not because he hasn’t failed; a man is great because failure hasn’t stopped him.” – Confucius
76. “Attack the evil that is within yourself, rather than attacking the evil that is in others.” – Confucius
77. “When strict with oneself, one rarely fails.” – Confucius
78. “I was complaining that I had no shoes till I met a man who had no feet.” – Confucius
79. “Happiness does not consist in having what you want, but in wanting what you have.” – Confucius
80. “As the water shapes itself to the vessel that contains it, so a wise man adapts himself to circumstances.” – Confucius
81. “Cultivate the root; the leaves and branches will take care of themselves.” – Confucius
82. “Never do to others what you would not like them to do to you.” – Confucius
83. “Do not wish for quick results, nor look for small advantages. If you seek quick results, you will not reach the ultimate goal. If you are led astray by small advantages, you will never accomplish great things.” – Confucius
84. “Don’t curse the darkness, light a candle.” – Confucius
85. “Of course you want to be rich and famous. It’s natural. Wealth and fame are what every man desires. The question is: What are you willing to trade for it?” – Confucius
86. “There are 1,000 lessons in defeat. But only one in victory.” – Confucius
87. “The archer who misses his mark does not blame the target. He stops, corrects himself and shoots again.” – Confucius
88. “There is one word which may serve as a rule of practice for all one’s life – reciprocity.” – Confucius
89. “Keep it simple and focus on what matters. Don’t let yourself be overwhelmed.” – Confucius
90. “Don’t let your past determine your destiny.” – Confucius
91. “We are so busy doing the urgent that we don’t have time to do the important.” – Confucius
92. “The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is that little extra. The question isn’t who is going to let me; it’s who is going to stop me you don’t have to see the whole staircase, just take the first step the man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.” – Confucius
93. “If one is guided by profit in one’s actions, one will incur much ill will.” – Confucius
94. “A man who does not think and plan long ahead will find trouble right at his door.” – Confucius
95. “If you want happiness for a year, inherit a fortune. If you want happiness for a lifetime, help someone else.” – Confucius
96. “Great is the man who can overcome the world, but greater still is the man who can overcome himself, for he will have the world spinning on the palm of his hand.” – Confucius
97. “There is only one thing in life which never changes, and it is change.” – Confucius
98. “A reasonable man adjusts himself to the world. An unreasonable man expects the world to adjust itself to him. Therefore all progress is made by unreasonable people.” – Confucius
99. “The one who was born a genius can’t win against the one who tries, and the one who tries can’t win against the one who enjoys.” – Confucius
100. “Please stop waiting for a better and more appropriate time to become happy and focus on the moment you live in. Happiness is not an arrival, it is the journey itself. Many people seek for happiness above the height of human beings, some below. Yet, happiness is exactly at the exact height of human beings.” – Confucius
Did you find these quotes by Confucius inspiring?
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