Confucius

He who learns but does not think, is lost! He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger.

Reviewing the old as a means of understanding the new — such a person can be a teacher.

Is it not pleasant to learn with a constant perseverance and application? Is it not delightful to have friends coming from distant quarters? Is he not a man of complete virtue, who feels no discomposure though men may take no note of him?

The superior man is distressed by his lack of ability, not by the failure of others to recognize him.

The Master said, 'He who is not concerned about the distant future will find trouble right at hand.'

The wise find pleasure in water; the virtuous find pleasure in mountains. The wise are active; the virtuous are tranquil. The wise are joyful; the virtuous are long-lived.

Do not be desirous of having things done quickly; do not look at small advantages. Desire to have things done quickly prevents their being done thoroughly. Looking at small advantages prevents great affairs from being accomplished.

The superior man is catholic and not partisan. The mean man is partisan and not catholic.

The gentleman is easy to serve but difficult to please. He who tries to please him in the wrong way will not be pleased. He uses men according to their abilities. The petty man is difficult to serve and easy to please. He who tries to please him in the wrong way will be pleased. He demands perfection in everything.

I transmit, but don't innovate. I am faithful to and love the ancients.

To govern means to rectify. If you lead the people with correctness, who will dare not to be correct?

The Master said, 'I walk in the company of two other men, and I can always learn from them. I select their good qualities and follow them, and I correct their bad qualities and avoid them.'

The Master said, 'A man who is not a man of benevolence—what has he to do with ceremonies? A man who is not a man of benevolence—what has he to do with music?'

The Master said, 'If a man is able to govern his country with the rules of propriety, what difficulty will he have? If he cannot govern his country with the rules of propriety, what has he to do with the rules of propriety?'

The Master said, 'A youth is to be regarded with respect. How do we know that his future will not be equal to our present? If he reach the age of forty or fifty, and has made no name for himself, then indeed he will not be worthy of respect.'

The Master said, 'It is not easy to find a man who has learned for three years without having his thoughts bent on learning.'

The Master said, 'Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles. Have no friends not equal to yourself. When you have faults, do not fear to abandon them.'

The Master said, 'The superior man, extensively studying all learning, and keeping himself under the restraint of the rules of propriety, may thus likewise not overstep what is right.'

The Master said, 'If the will be set on virtue, there will be no practice of wickedness.'

The Master said, 'Riches and honors are what men desire. If they cannot be obtained in the proper way, they should not be held. Poverty and meanness are what men dislike. If they cannot be avoided in the proper way, they should not be avoided.'