Confucius Quotes

If the Coastal Republic had believed in the existence of virtue, it could at least have aspired to hypocrisy.

Success gives the character of honesty to some classes of wickedness.

All the gold upon the earth and all the gold beneath it, does not compensate for lack of virtue.

A man may be very sincere in good principles, without having good practice.

But courage without conduct is the virtue of a robber, or a tyrant.

Honor is the only really good disguise for an occasional act of dishonor.

After all, why be good? How many will actually believe it of us?

...virtue is not merely a state in conformity with the right principle, but one that implies the right principle; and the right principle in moral conduct is prudence.

Only morality in our actions can give beauty and dignity to life.

There is hardly that person to be found who is not more concerned for the reputation of wit and sense, than honesty and virtue.

I have seen men incapable of the sciences, but never any incapable of virtue.

Virtue and decency are so nearly related that it is difficult to separate them from each other but in our imagination.

Possessed of courage but devoid of morality, a superior man will make trouble while a small man will be a brigand.

Integrity is hard work. I do think the Internet makes it harder because of the temptations of performance. You can perform and have integrity, but it's easier just to perform.

That we occasionally violate our own stated moral code does not imply that we are insincere in espousing that code.

Some are able and humane men and some are low-grade individuals with the morals of a goat, the artistic integrity of a slot machine, and the manners of a floorwalker with delusions of grandeur.

Always do what is right. It will gratify half of mankind and astound the other.

No man's religion ever survives his morals.

Honor's a thing too subtle for wisdom; if honor lie in eating, he's right honorable.

Virtue is health, vice is sickness.

There is no real excellence in all of this world which can be separated from right living.

One should judge a man mainly from his depravities. Virtues can be faked. Depravities are real.

Living on hypocrisy is not a healthy diet for patriots.

You can be dressed the best and have a wicked heart.

The virtuous will be sure to speak uprightly; but those whose speech is upright may not be virtuous.