The Analects – Confucius

Quotes from and saying about one of the wisest men in Chinese history, an almost mythological figure. Confucius believed that if we properly managed our external relationships, our internal development would also progress, and from the sense that the characteristics and qualities necessary to properly manage external relationships, in his view, are the very foundations of what many would consider to be good character.

Relatively short read, but chock full of worthwhile considerations and things to reflect upon.

Various quotes that resonated:

“The nobler type of man is broad-minded and not prejudiced. The inferior man is prejudiced and not broad-minded.”

“Learning without thinking is useless. Thinking without learning is dangerous.”

“Shall I teach you the meaning of knowledge? When you know a thing to recognize that you know it; and when you do not, to know that you do not know, – that is knowledge.”

“When Chi K’ang asked how to inspire the people with respect and loyalty, so that they might be mutually emulous (for the welfare of the state), the Master said: ‘Lead them with dignity and they will also be dutiful; be filial and kind and they will be loyal; promote those who excel and teach the incompetent, and they will encourage each other.” 

“To see the right and not do it is cowardice.”

“The wise man in his attitude towards the world has neither predilections not prejudices. He is on the side of what is right.”

“The man of honour thinks of his character, the inferior man of his position. The man of honour desires justice, the inferior man favour.”

“When you see a man of worth, think how to rise to his level. When you see an unworthy man, then look within and examine yourself.”

“The wise man desires to be slow to speak but quick to act.”

“Virtue never dwells alone; it always has neighbours.”

“It is all in vain! I have never yet seen a man who could perceive his own faults and bring the charge home against himself.”

“He who knows the truth is not equal to him who loves it, and he who loves it is not equal to him who delights in it.”

“For the philanthropist is one who desiring to maintain himself sustains others, and desiring to develop himself develops others. To be able from one’s own self to draw a parallel for the treatment of others – that may be called on the rule of philanthropy.” 

“Fix your mind on the right way; hold fast to it in your moral character; follow it up in kindness to others; take your recreation in the polite arts.” 

“There are men, probably, who do things correctly without knowing the reason why, but I am not like that: I hear much, select the good and follow it; I see much and treasure it up. This is the next best thing to philosophical knowledge.”

“The noble man is calm and serene, the inferior man is continually worried and anxious.”

“The Master was affable yet dignified, commanding yet not overbearing, courteous yet easy.”

“Courtesy uncontrolled by the laws of good taste becomes laboured effort, caution uncontrolled becomes timidity, boldness uncontrolled becomes recklessness, and frankness uncontrolled becomes effrontery. When the highly placed pay generous regard to their own families, the people are equally stirred to kindness, When they do not discard old dependents, neither will the people deal meanly with theirs.”

“Learn as if you were not reaching your goal, and as though you were afraid of missing it.”

“Am I indeed a man with innate knowledge? I have no such knowledge; but when an uncultivated person, in all simplicity, comes to me with a question, I thrash out its pros and cons until I fathom it.”

“I have never yet seen a man whose love of virtue equalled his love of women.”

“Can any one refuse assent to words of just admonition? But it is amendment that is of value. Can any one be otherwise than pleased with advice persuasively offered? But it is the application that is of value. Mere interest without application, mere assent without amendment, – I can do nothing whatever with men of such calibre.” 

“Make conscientiousness and sincerity your leading principles. Have no friends inferior to yourself. And when in the wrong, do not hesitate to amend.” 

“When Chi Lu asked about his duty to the spirits the Master replied: ‘While still unable to do your duty to the living, how can you do your duty to the dead? When he ventured to ask about death, Confucius answered: ‘Not yet understanding life, how can you understand death?”

“To go beyond the mark..is as bad as to come short of it.”

“When Ssŭ-ma Niu asked for a definition of the man of noble mind, the Master said: “The man of noble mind has neither anxiety nor fear.’ ‘Neither anxiety nor fear!’ he rejoined. ‘Is this the definition of a noble man?’ ‘On searching within,’ replied the Master, ‘he finds no chronic ill, so why should he be anxious or why should he be afraid?”

“If the people enjoy plenty,’ was the rejoinder, ‘with whom will the prince share want? But if the people are in want, with whom will the prince share plenty?”

“Take conscientiousness and sincerity as your ruling principle, submit also your mind to right conditions, and your character will improve.” 

“The man of noble mind seeks to achieve the good in others and not their evil. The little-minded man is the reverse of this.”

“Once when Fan Ch’ih asked the meaning of virtue, the Master replied, ‘Love your fellow men.’ On his asking the meaning of knowledge, the Master said: ‘Know your fellow men.’

“‘By promoting the straight and degrading the crooked you can make even the crooked straight.”

“On Tzŭ Kung inquiring the duties to a friend, the Master replied: ‘Advise him conscientiously and guide him discreetly. If he be unwilling, then cease; do not court humiliation.” 

“The wise man by his culture gathers his friends, and by his friends develops his goodness of character.” 

“When Chung Kung was minister for the House of Chi he asked for advice on the art of government, whereupon the Master said: ‘Utilize first and foremost your subordinate officers, overlook their minor errors, and promote those who are worthy and capable.” 

“Whatever a wise man states he can always define, and what he so defines, he can always carry into practice; for the wise man will on no account have anything remiss in his definitions.” 

“When the Master was travelling to Wei, Jan Yu drove him. ‘What a numerous population!’ remarked the Master. “The people having grown so numerous, what should be done for them?’ Asked Jan Yu. ‘Enrich them,’ was the reply. ‘And when you have enriched them, what next should be done?’ he asked. ‘Educate them,’ was the answer.”

“When the Duke of Shê asked the meaning of good government, the Master answered: “The near are happy and the distant attracted.” 

“Do not be in a hurry; do not be intent on minor advantages. When one is in a hurry, nothing is thorough; and when one is intent on minor advantages, nothing great is accomplished.’ 

“The true gentleman is friendly but not familiar; the inferior man is familiar but not friendly.”

“The true gentleman is easy to serve, yet difficult to please. If you attempt to please him in any improper way, he will be displeased; but when it comes to appointing men in their work, he has regard to their capacity. The inferior man is hard to serve, yet easy to please. If you attempt to please him, even in an improper way, he will be pleased; but in appointing men their work, he expects him to be fit for everything.”

“The firm of spirit, the resolute in character, the simple in manner, and the slow of speech are not far from virtue.” 

“The Master said: “The scholar whose regard is his comfort is unworthy to be deemed a scholar.”

“A man of principle is sure to have something good to say, but he who has something good to say is not necessarily a man of principle. A virtuous man is sure to be courageous, but a courageous man is not necessarily a man of virtue.”

“To be poor and not complain is difficult; to be rich and not arrogant is easy.”

“He who speaks without modesty will perform with difficulty.” 

“The progress of the nobler-minded man is upwards, the progress of the inferior man is downwards.”

“The men of old studied for the sake of self-improvement; the men of the present day study for the approbation of others.” 

“The higher type of man is modest in what he says, but surpasses in what he does.”

“A wise man is not distressed that people do not know him; he is distressed at his own lack of ability.”

“Is not he a man of real worth who does not anticipate deceit nor imagine that people will doubt his word; and yet who has immediate perception thereof when present?”

“A good horse is not praised for its strength but for its character.”

“1. Someone asked: ‘What do you think about the principle of rewarding enmity with kindness?’ 2. ‘With what, then, would you reward kindness?’ asked the Master. 3. ‘Reward enmity with just treatment, and kindness with kindness.’”

“Not to enlighten one who can be enlightened is to waste a man; to enlighten one who cannot be enlightened is to waste words. The intelligent man neither wastes his man nor his words.”

“He who demands much from himself and little from others will avoid resentment.”

“If a man does not ask himself, “What am I to make of this?” “What am I to make of that?’ – there is nothing whatever I can make of him.”

“The noble man seeks what he wants in himself; the inferior man seeks it from others”

“The wise man does not appreciate a man because of what he says; nor does he depreciate what he says because of the man.”

“Is there any one word’, asked Tzŭ Kung, ‘which could be adopted as a lifelong rule of conduct? The Master replied: ‘Is not Sympathy the word? Do not do to others what you would not like yourself.”

“Plausible words confound morals, and a trifling impatience may confound a great project.” 

“A man can enlarge his principles; it is not his principles that enlarge the man.”

“To err and not reform may indeed be called error.”

“A man of the higher type may not be distinguishable in minor responsibilities, but he can undertake great ones. An inferior man cannot undertake great responsibilities, but may be distinguished in minor ones.”

“The wise man is intelligently, not blindly, loyal.”

“In teaching there should be no class distinctions.”

“There are three kinds of friends that are beneficial, and three that are harmful. To make friends with the upright, with the faithful, with the well-informed, is beneficial. To make friends with the plausible, with the insinuating, with the glib, is harmful.”

“There are three ways of pleasure-seeking that are beneficial, and there are three that are harmful. To seek pleasure in the refinements of manners and music, to seek pleasure in discussing the excellence of others, to seek pleasure in making man worthy friends – these are beneficial. To seek pleasure in unbridled enjoyment, to seek pleasure in looseness and gadding, to seek pleasure in conviviality – these are harmful.” 

“The wise man has nine points of thoughtful care. In looking, his care is to observe distinctly; in listening, his care is to apprehend clearly; in his appearance, his care is to be kindly; in his manner, his care is to be courteous; in speaking, his care is to be conscientious; in his duties, his care is to be earnest; in doubt, his care is to seek information; in anger, he has a care for the consequences; and when he has opportunity for gain, his care is whether it be right.”

“By nature men nearly resemble each other; in practice they grow wide apart.”

“It is only the very wisest and the very stupidest who never change.”

“To be able everywhere one goes to carry five things into practice constitutes Virtue.’ They are courtesy, magnanimity, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness. With courtesy you will avoid insult, with magnanimity you will win all, with sincerity men will trust you, with earnestness you will have success, and with kindness you will be well fitted to command others.”

“The Master said: ‘Yu, have you ever heard of the six good words and the six things that obscure them?’ ‘Never,’ was the reply.

‘Sit down then, and I will tell you. Love of kindness, without a love to learn, finds itself obscured by foolishness. Love of knowledge, without a love to learn, finds itself obscured by loose speculation. Love of honesty, without a love to learn, finds itself obscured by harmful candour. Love of straightforwardness, without a love to learn, finds itself obscured by misdirected judgement. Love of daring, without a love to learn, finds itself obscured by insubordination. And love for strength of character, without a love to learn, finds itself obscured by intractability.” 

“’These servile fellows!’ said the Master. ‘How is it possible to serve one’s prince along with them? Before obtaining their position they are in anxiety to obtain it, and when they have it they are in anxiety lest they lose it. And if men are in anxiety about losing their position, there is no length to which they will not go.” 

“Artful address and an insinuating demeanour seldom accompany virtue.” 

“If a man possess virtue without its enlarging him, if he believe in truth but without steadfastness, how can you tell whether he has these qualities or not?”

“A wise man honours the worthy and tolerates all; he commends the good and commiserates the incompetent. Am I a man of exceptional worth? Then whom among men may I not tolerate? Am I not a man of worth? Then others would be turning me away. Why should there be this turning of others away then?”

“Tzŭ Hsia said: ‘Broad culture and a steady will, earnest investigation and personal reflection, – virtue is to be found therein.” 

“Tzŭ Hsia said: “The inferior man always embellishes his mistakes.”

“The Wise Man varies from three aspects. Seen from a distance he appears stern; when approached he proves gracious; as you listen to him you find him decided in opinion.” 

“Though a man may never before have shown what was in him, surely he will do so when he mourns his parents.”

“Tzŭ Kung said: “The transgressions of the Wise Men are like eclipse of the sun or the moon. When he transgresses all men look at him. When he recovers all men look up to him.”