ANALECTS OF CONFUCIUS

Confucius was a philosopher, politician, and poet famous for his work, The Analects—a compilation of his life and
everyday learnings.
Confucius's teachings focus on cultural and peaceful pursuits and the characteristics of benevolent and culturally
distinguished government. He also discusses ancestor worship and other rites performed for the spirits of the dead. The
single most influential philosophical work in all of Chinese history, The Analects of Confucius has shaped the thought and
customs of China and neighboring countries for centuries. Burton Watson's concise translation uses the pinyin
romanization system and keeps explanatory notes to a minimum, yet his intimate knowledge of the Confucian tradition
and precise attention to linguistic detail capture the original text's elegance, cogency, and wit.
Reflecting the model eras of Chinese antiquity, the Analects offers valuable insights into successful governance and the
ideal organization of society. Filled with humor and sarcasm, it reads like a casual conversation between teacher and
student, emphasizing the role of the individual in the attainment of knowledge and the value of using historical events and
people to illuminate moral and political concepts.
Here are some of the analects of Confucius:

1. “The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones.”

2. “Respect yourself and others will respect you.”

3. “Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles.”

4. “To be wealthy and honored in an unjust society is a disgrace.”

5. “The noble-minded are calm and steady. Little people are forever fussing and fretting.”

6. “When the wind blows,the grass bends.”

7. “He Who Knows And Knows That He Knows Is A Wise Man - Follow Him;
He Who Knows Not And Knows Not That He Knows Not Is A Fool - Shun Him”

8. “Fix your mind on truth, hold firm to virtue, rely on loving kindness, and find your recreation in the Arts.”

9. “The superior man has a dignified ease without pride. The mean man has pride without a dignified ease.”

10. “Be strict with yourself but least reproachful of others and complaint is kept afar.”

11. “Not to discuss with a man worthy of conversation is to waste the man. To discuss with a man not worthy of
conversation is to waste words. The wise waste neither men nor words.”

12. “The expectations of life depend upon diligence the mechanic that would perfect his work must first sharpen his tools. ”

13. “If you expect great things of yourself and demand little of others, you’ll keep resentment far away.”

14. “To be poor without murmuring is difficult. To be rich without being proud is easy.”

15. “Coarse rice to eat, water to drink, my bended arm for a pillow - therein is happiness. Wealth and rank attained through
immoral means are nothing but drifting clouds.”

16. “Learning without thinking is useless. Thinking without learning is dangerous.”

17. “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 not made himself heard of, then indeed he will not be worth being regarded with respect.”

18. “Care not for want of place; care for thy readiness to fill one. Care not for being unknown, but seek to be worthy of
note.”

19. “When everyone hates a person, you should investigate thoroughly, and when everyone loves a person, you should also
investigate thoroughly.”

20. “Don’t grieve when people fail to recognize your ability. Grieve for your lack of ability instead.”

21. “You are what you think”

22. “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life”
23. Life is really simple, but we insist on making it complicated.

24. It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.

25. When anger rises, think of the consequences.

26. When it is obvious that the goals cannot be reached, don't adjust the goals, adjust the action steps.

27. Do not impose on others what you yourself do not desire.

28. Learning without thought is labor lost; thought without learning is perilous.

29. “Don't do unto others what you don't want done unto you.”

30. "The essence of knowledge is, having it, to apply it; not having it, to confess your ignorance."

31. “Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.”

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

33. “Education breeds confidence. Confidence breeds hope. Hope breeds peace.”

34. "A man who has committed a mistake and doesn't correct it is committing another mistake."

35. "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."

36. "Acquire new knowledge whilst thinking over the old, and you may become a teacher of others."

37. “Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it.”

38. “He who knows all the answers has not been asked all the questions.”

39. “Real knowledge is to know the extent of one’s ignorance.”

40. “If you are the smartest person in the room, then you are in the wrong room.”

41. To know what you know and what you do not know, that is true knowledge.”

42. “Silence is a true friend who never betrays.”

43. “Give a bowl of rice to a man and you will feed him for a day. Teach him how to grow his own rice and you will save
his life.”

44. “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”

45. “If we don’t know life, how can we know death?”

46. “I slept and dreamt life is beauty, I woke and found life is duty.”

47. “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.”

48. “No matter how busy you make think you are, you must find time for reading, or surrender yourself to self-chosen
ignorance.”

49. “Words are the voice of the heart.”

50. “Three things cannot long be hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.”