Quote collection
904 quotes — follow a thought to its full quote page.
"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."
"The gentleman sees what is right while the small man sees what is profitable."
"If a man in the morning hear the right way, he may die in the evening without regret."
"When a nation or family is about to flourish, there are sure to be happy omens; and when it is about to perish, there are sure to be unlucky omens."
"Things that are done, it is needless to speak about...things that are past, it is needless to blame."
"The wise men of antiquity, when they wished to make the whole world peaceful and happy, first put their own States into proper order. Before putting their States into proper order, they regulated their own families. Before regulating their families, they regulated themselves. Before regulating themselves, they tried to be sincere in their thoughts. Before being sincere in their thoughts, they tried to see things exactly as they really were."
"Heaven is author of the virtue that is in me"
"Waste begets self-will; thrift begets meanness: but better be mean than self-willed."
"Not to converse with a man worthy of conversation is to waste the man. To converse with a man not worthy of conversation is to waste words. The wise waste neither men nor words."
"When the multitude detests a man, inquiry is necessary; when the multitude likes a man, inquiry is equally necessary."
"One joy dispels a hundred cares."
"The superior man * * * in regard to his speech * * * is anxious that it should be sincere."
"Baseball is wrong, man with four balls cannot walk"
"The Master said, “If your conduct is determined solely by considerations of profit you will arouse great resentment."
"Don't make to others what you don't want them to make to you."
"He who works for his own interests will arouse much animosity"
"There are some with whom we may study in common, but we shall find them unable to go along with us to principles. Perhaps we may go on with them to principles, but we shall find them unable to get established in those along with us. Or if we may get so established along with them, we shall find them unable to weigh occurring events along with us."
"The wise are free from perplexities; the virtuous from anxiety; and the bold from fear."
"To study and at times practice what one has learned, is this not a pleasure?"
"Lead the people with administrative injunctions and put them in their place with penal law, and they will avoid punishments but will be without a sense of shame. Lead them with excellence and put them in their place through roles and ritual practices, and in addition to developing a sense of shame, they will order themselves harmoniously"