When a thing is done, do not speak of it; when it is completed, do not advise against it; for what is past, do not blame. — Confucius, The Analects
There are three friends who are beneficial. To be a friend of the straightforward, the candid, and the well-informed is beneficial. — Confucius, The Analects
Orchids and iris grow in secluded forests; they do not cease to be fragrant just because no one is there. The gentleman cultivates his virtue and establishes his integrity; he does not alter his conduct just because he is in straitened circumstances. — Confucius
If you do not hold the position, do not plot its policies. — Confucius, The Analects
The gentleman is upright and open, while the petty man is always anxious and uneasy. — Confucius, The Analects
I was fifteen when I set my heart on learning; at thirty I had gained a firm footing; at forty I was no longer perplexed; at fifty I knew what was my fate from Heaven; at sixty my ear was attuned to what I heard; at seventy I could follow the dictates of my heart, without overstepping the line of propriety. — Confucius, The Analects
Those who know it are not equal to those who love it; those who love it are not equal to those who delight in it. — Confucius, The Analects
The wise take delight in water; the benevolent take delight in hills. The wise are active; the benevolent are quiet. The wise are happy; the benevolent have long life. — Confucius, The Analects
When I go along with two others, there must be at least one who can be my teacher. I will select what is good in them and follow it, and seeing what is not good in them, I will reform it in myself. — Confucius, The Analects
Confucius said: “The gentleman has three prohibitions. In youth, when the blood and qi are not yet settled, the prohibition is against sexual desire. In adulthood, when the blood and qi are vigorous, the prohibition is against fighting. In old age, when the blood and qi are declining, the prohibition is against greed.” — Confucius, The Analects, Chapter on Qi Shi
Learning without thinking is labor lost; thinking without learning is perilous. — Confucius, The Analects
He was quick in learning and not ashamed to ask questions of his inferiors. Thus he was named Wen. — Confucius, The Analects
While parents are alive, do not travel far. If you must travel, you should have a definite place in mind. — Confucius, The Analects
Do not open your mouth until the student is eager to learn; do not explain until he is in a state of perplexity. If, after I have shown him one corner of a square, he cannot infer the other three, I shall not repeat my instruction. — Confucius, The Analects
Seeing a worthy person, think of equalling him; seeing an unworthy person, examine yourself inwardly. — Confucius, The Analects
How the water flows on! It does not rest day or night. — Confucius, The Analects
Do not worry that others do not know you; worry that you do not know others. — Confucius, The Analects
Is it not a pleasure to learn and to practice what has been learned? Is it not a pleasure when friends come from afar? Is he not a gentleman who does not resent it when others do not know him? — Confucius, The Analects
If I hear the Way in the morning, I may die contented in the evening. — Confucius, The Analects
If a workman would do his work with skill, he must first sharpen his tools. — Confucius, The Analects, Chapter on Wei Ling Gong
