Confucius on Happiness Quotes

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

"He who knows the truth is not equal to him who loves it, and he who loves it is not equal to him who delights in it."

"He who acts with a constant view to his own advantage will be much murmured against."

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

"To be able under all circumstances to practice five things constitutes perfect virtue; these five are gravity, generosity of soul, sincerity, earnestness, and kindness."

"Is it not delightful to have friends coming from distant quarters?"

"Virtue is not left to stand alone. He who practices it will have neighbors."

"To be wealthy and honored in an unjust society is a disgrace."

"Silence is a true friend who never betrays."

"Everything has beauty, but not everyone sees it."

"Sincerity is the way of Heaven. The attainment of sincerity is the way of men."

"The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones."

"The superior man thinks of virtue; the small man thinks of comfort."

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

"He who exercises government by means of his virtue may be compared to the north polar star, which keeps its place and all the stars turn towards it."

"The cautious seldom err."

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

"Wheresoever you go, go with all your heart."

"I am not one who was born in the possession of knowledge; I am one who is fond of antiquity, and earnest in seeking it there."

"The superior man is satisfied and composed; the mean man is always full of distress."

"They must often change, who would be constant in happiness or wisdom."

"The firm, the enduring, the simple, and the modest are near to virtue."

"Riches and honors acquired by unrighteousness are to me as a floating cloud."

"If the soul be without care, the body will be without pain."

"The more man meditates upon good thoughts, the better will be his world and the world at large."

"The superior man makes the difficulty to be overcome his first business, and success only a subsequent consideration."

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

"Is it not pleasant to learn with a constant perseverance and application?"

"To see what is right and not to do it is want of courage."

"A youth, when at home, should be filial, and, abroad, respectful to his elders."

"If a man should be able to rule himself, what difficulty will he have in serving the state?"

"With coarse rice to eat, with water to drink, and my bended arm for a pillow; I have still joy in the midst of these things."

"The object of the superior man is truth."