Over several decades, I have accumulated quotations from hundreds of sources and Confucius (551 BC-479 BC) is one of my personal favorites.

Confucius, also known as Kong Qui or K’ung Fu-tzu, was a Chinese philosopher, teacher and political figure. His teachings, preserved in the Analects, focused on creating ethical models of family and public interaction and setting educational standards. After his death, Confucius became the official imperial philosophy of China, which was extremely influential during the Han, Tang and Song dynasties.

Here is some nutritious food for thought.

o “The man who says he can, and the man who says he can not… Are both correct.”

o “Your life is what your thoughts make it.”

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

o “All people are the same; only their habits differ.”

o “We have two lives, and the second begins when we realize we only have one.”

 

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

o “Act with kindness but do not expect gratitude.”

o “Worry not that no one knows you; seek to be worth knowing.”

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

o “Anyone can find the switch after the lights are on.”

 

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

o “Roads were made for journeys not destinations.”

o “Respect yourself and others will respect you.”

o “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.”

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

 

o “Only the wisest and stupidest of men never change.”

o “If you make a mistake and do not correct it, this is called a mistake.”

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

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

o “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.”

*    *     *

To learn more about Confucius, please click here.