In the words of Confucius:
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.
The more man meditates upon good thoughts, the better will be his world and the world at large.
To see what is right and not to do it is want of courage, or of principle.
Look at the means which a man employs, consider his motives, observe his pleasures. A man simply cannot conceal himself!
Wisdom, compassion, and courage are the three universally recognized moral qualities of men.
Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.
I want you to be everything that's you, deep at the center of your being.
Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
If you think in terms of a year, plant a seed; if in terms of ten years, plant trees; if in terms of 100 years, teach the people.
Do not worry if others do not understand you. Instead worry if you do not understand others.
The superior man thinks always of virtue. The common man thinks of comfort.
He who cannot describe the problem will never find the solution to that problem.
A wise man has dignity without pride; a fool has pride without dignity.
We are so busy doing the urgent that we don't have time to do the important.
Attack the evil that is within yourself, rather than attacking the evil that is in others.
If you want happiness for a lifetime, help someone else.
Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace.
When I am with others, they are my teachers. I can select their good points and follow them, and select their bad points and avoid them.
The archer who misses his mark does not blame the target. He stops, corrects himself and shoots again.
The noble-minded are calm and steady. Little people are forever fussing and fretting.
Every truth has four corners: as a teacher I give you one corner, and it is for you to find the other three.
Give a man a fish, feed home for a day. Teach a man to fish, feed for a lifetime.
Being strong does not mean that you never fall down, but that whenever you fall, you get up again.
If you yourself desire establishment, then help others to get establishment; if you yourself want success, then help others to attain success.
A bit of fragrance always clings to the hand that gives roses. If you are generous, you will gain everything.
When you see a good man, try to emulate his example, and when you see a bad man, search yourself for his faults.
Balance is the perfect state of still water. Let that be our model. It remains quiet within and is not disturbed on the surface.
A gentleman can see a question from all sides without bias. The small man is biased and can see a question only from one side.
If you yourself desire establishment, then help others to get establishment; if you yourself want success, then help others to attain success.
A bit of fragrance always clings to the hand that gives roses. If you are generous, you will gain everything.
If your plan is for one year plant rice. If your plan is for ten years plant trees. If your plan is for one hundred years educate children.
Give a bowl of rice to a man and you will feed him for a day. Teach him how to grow his own rice and you will save his life.
Rather than caring about whether or not you are known, strive to be worth knowing.
A wise man seeks by music to strengthen his soul: the thoughtless one uses it to stifle his fears.
Don't worry that other people don't know you; worry that you don't know other people.
Be loyal and trustworthy. Do not befriend anyone who is lower than yourself in this regard.
The most beautiful sight in the world is a little child going confidently down the road of life after you have shown him the way.
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.
You must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance.
The perfecting of one's self is the fundamental base of all progress and all moral development.
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.
Knowledge is merely brilliance in organization of ideas and not wisdom. The truly wise person goes beyond knowledge.
He who requires much from himself and little from others, will keep himself from being the object of resentment.
Stars are holes in the sky from which the light of the infinite shines.
The green reed which bends in the wind is stronger than the mighty oak which breaks in a storm.
A man should practice what he preaches, but a man should also preach what he practices.
The wise man admires water, the kind man admires mountains. The wise man moves, the kind man rests. The wise man is happy, the kind man is firm.
Fix your mind on truth, hold firm to virtue, rely on loving kindness, and find your recreation in the Arts.
If there were one word that could act as a standard of conduct for one's entire life, perhaps it would be 'thoughtfulness.'
To be fond of learning is near to wisdom; to practice with vigor is near to benevolence; and to be conscious of shame is near to fortitude.
When you breathe, you inspire, and when you do not breathe, you expire.
He who is harmony with Nature hits the mark without effort and apprehends the truth without thinking.
The superior man is satisfied and composed; the mean man is always full of distress.
Those who are firm, enduring, simple and unpretentious are the nearest to virtue.
To study and not think is a waste. To think and not study is dangerous.
It doesn't make a difference how gradually you go so long as you don't stop.
The way out is through the door. Why is it that no one will use this method?
If I am building a mountain and stop before the last basketful of earth is placed on the summit, I have failed.
Watch their actions, observe their motives, examine wherein they dwell content; won't you know what kind of person they are?
The gentleman is calm and at ease. The gentleman is dignified but not proud; the small man is proud but not dignified.
Only after Winter comes do we know that the pine and the cypress are the last to fade.
Let a man be stimulated by poetry, established by the rules of propriety, and perfected by music.
To find the Tao, there is nowhere you need to search. If it is not inside you, it is not the Tao.
Wisdom delights in water; love delights in hills. Wisdom is stirring; love is quiet. Wisdom is merry; love grows old.
Look for an occupation that you like, and you will not need to labor for a single day in your life.
Be aroused by poetry; structure yourself with propriety, refine yourself with music.
Don't be concerned about others not appreciating you. Be concerned about your not appreciating others.
Man is born for uprightness. If a man lose his uprightness and yet live, his escape from death is mere good fortune.
I live in a very small house, but my windows look out on a very large world.
From the Son of Heaven down to the mass of the people, all must consider the cultivation of the person the root of everything besides.
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