Confucius Famous Quotations

Confucius (551 BC - 479 BC) was a Chinese thinker and social philosopher whose teachings and philosophy have greatly influenced Chinese, Japanese, Korean, and Vietnamese thought and life. These famous quotes dealing with goals, achievement, and success have been attributed to him.

A superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions.
Ability will never catch up with the demand for it.
Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without.
By three methods we may learn wisdom: First, by reflection, which is noblest; Second, by imitation, which is easiest; and third by experience, which is the bitterest.
Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.
Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire.
Faced with what is right, to leave it undone shows a lack of courage.
He who learns but does not think, is lost! He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger.
He who speaks without modesty will find it difficult to make his words good.
I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.
I want you to be everything that's you, deep at the center of your being.
I will not be concerned at other men's not knowing me;I will be concerned at my own want of ability.
If I am walking with two other men, each of them will serve as my teacher. I will pick out the good points of the one and imitate them, and the bad points of the other and correct them in myself.
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.
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.
It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.
It is easy to hate and it is difficult to love. This is how the whole scheme of things works. All good things are difficult to achieve; and bad things are very easy to get.
No matter how busy you may think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen ignorance.
Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.
Study the past, if you would divine the future.
Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.
The cautious seldom err.
The expectations of life depend upon diligence; the mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools.
The superior man makes the difficulty to be overcome his first interest; success only comes later.
The will to win, the desire to succeed, the urge to reach your full potential... these are the keys that will unlock the door to personal excellence.
When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.