My Top 10 Confucius Quotes

1. Everything has its beauty but not everyone sees it.
2. Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in getting up every time we do.
3. To be wronged is nothing unless you continue to remember it.
4. What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.
5. Virtue is not left to stand alone. He who practices it will have neighbors.
6. Things that are done, it is needless to speak about...things that are past, it is needless to blame.
7. Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.
8. Life is really simple, but men insist on making it complicated.
9. When anger rises, think of the consequences.
10. I am not concerned that I am not known, I seek to be worthy to be known.

"He preaches only what he practices."

Zigong asked about the true gentleman. The Master said: "He preaches only what he practices."

This quote jumped out at me because I've always heard the phrase the other way around: practice what you preach. With the reversal, the quote's meaning completely changes. Instead of preaching goodness and then going home and trying to practice it yourself, you must first have mastered goodness before having the right to tell others to practice it as well. I definitely like Confucius' version of the quote better.

"It is the attitude that matters."

Zixia asked about filial piety. The Master said: "It is the attitude that matters."

I personally identify with this quote because it reminds me of a slogan my family always says: "I will help right away, all the way, and with a happy spirit!" 

Having a positive attitude toward chores and helping other people is stressed in my family. Growing up, I was taught that WANTING to help someone is sometimes more important than the actual action of helping them.

My parents are as wise as Confucius. :)

"At fifteen, I set my mind upon learning..."

"At fifteen, I set my mind upon learning. At thirty, I took my stand. At forty, I had no doubts. At fifty, I knew the will of Heaven. At sixty, my ear was attuned. At seventy, I follow all the desires of my heart without breaking any rule."

With this quote, Confucius answers the age-old question of what will bring me happiness in life? According to him, a life devoted to knowledge and learning brings the greatest satisfaction. He also makes the point that learning is a lifelong process to which one must be devoted. The reward for such faithfulness, other than knowledge itself, is that one will be able to follow their heart's desires without worrying about any moral implications as a result of the learning process creating an innate goodness in people.

Inspiring Quotes

"To govern a state of middle size..."

"To govern a state of middle size, one must dispatch business with dignity and good faith; be thrifty and love all men; mobilize the people only at the right times."

Confucius' advice to rulers directly juxtaposes Machiavelli's writings in "The Prince." The book is essentially a "Guide to Ruling for Dummies," with the theme that the appearance of virtue is more important than true virtue itself. Confucius, on the other hand, clearly promotes a genuine relationship between a ruler and his people. The differences in approach are due to the fact that Machiavelli is writing with the ruler's best interest in mind, while Confucius believes in a selfless ruler, where politics is about the people.