Confucius Quotes

Selflessness. Humility. Truthfulness. These are the three marks of an honorable man.

The virtuous man is driven by responsibility, the non-virtuous man is driven by profit.

General benevolence, but not general friendship, made a man what he ought to be.

It is virtue itself that produces and sustains friendship, not without virtue can friendship by any possibility exist.

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

It is the property of a great and good mind to covet, not the fruit of good deeds, but good deeds themselves, and to seek for a good man even after having met with bad men.

Did ever a man try heroism, magnanimity, truth, sincerity, and find that there was no advantage in them - that it was a vain endeavor?

To know what virtue is is not enough; we must endeavor to possess and to practice it, or in some other manner actually ourselves to become good.

True education seeks to make men and women not only good mathematicians, proficient linguists, profound scientists, or brilliant literary lights, but also honest men and women with virtue, temperance, and brotherly love.

Know you not that a good man does nothing for appearance sake, but for the sake of having done right?

No one can be good for long if goodness is not in demand.

Moral science is better occupied when treating of friendship than of justice.

The very spring and root of honesty and virtue lie in good education.

Friendship with a man is friendship with his virtue.

I don't want to be interesting. I want to be good.

Piety requires us to honor truth above our friends.

Perfect friendship is the friendship of men who are good, and alike in excellence; for these wish well alike to each other qua good, and they are good in themselves.

No human being or society ... ever did or ever will come to much unless their conduct was governed and guided by the love of some ethical ideal

Live so that your friends can defend you, but never have to

A superior man thinks of what is right. A small man thinks of profit.

A man who always speaks the truth wholeheartedly is greater than those who do penance and deeds of charity.

I'm a good, upstanding guy with moral values and core values.

I'm a good guy with a good heart, and I have good intentions.

Live the principles and the values. Almost nobody in America is living them. Learn the truth. Live the life of our founders. Be a decent, righteous, forthright honest man or woman.

What are the things that you can't see that are important? I would say justice, truth, humility, service, compassion, love...They're the guiding lights of a life.