Confucius Quotes

Nothing of character is really permanent but virtue and personal worth.

Man is born for uprightness. If a man lose his uprightness and yet live, his escape from death is mere good fortune.

Remember what Bogie and my mother both used to say: 'Character is the most important thing. All that matters is character!'

I do not believe with the Rochefoucaults and the Montaignes that fourteen out of fifteen men are rogues. I believe a great abatement from that proportion may be made in favor of general honesty.

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

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

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

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

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

Honesty is nothin' compared to decency.

I believe in integrity. Dogs have it. Humans are sometimes lacking it.

Throughout my life, I have always tried to do what is right.

A man should be upright, not be kept upright.

Elegance is inferior to virtue.

The just man walks in his integrity

We value virtue but do not discuss it. The honest bookkeeper, the faithful wife, the earnest scholar get little of our attention compared to the embezzler, the tramp, the cheat.

Honesty and integrity is an important part of our character, my character.

Virtue is the first title of nobility.

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

Integrity can be neither lost nor concealed nor faked nor quenched nor artificially come by nor outlived, nor, I believe, in the long run, denied.

For he who is honest is noble, Whatever his fortunes or birth.

All the devils respect virtue.

Our probity is not less at the mercy of fortune than our property.

The more virtuous any man is, the less easily does he suspect others to be vicious.