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The Thoughts of Confucius: A Legacy for Humanity

· February 28, 2017

Confucius was a Chinese philosopher who lived in an era in which war and confusion reigned. However, he never gave up his efforts for finding a path towards overcoming one’s difficulties through knowledge.

When he was 50 years old, he started traveling through China. In his travels, he spread his thoughts, especially in the form of aphorisms. His influence was so great, that soon he began to fill town squares. Even politicians and men of power accepted and put into practice his reflections.

“If you want to be wise, learn to question reasonably, to listen carefully, to respond with serenity and to be quiet when you have nothing to say.”
–Johann Kaspar Lavater–

Confucius’ thinking revolves around education, as the source of virtue. It proclaims 3 fundamental virtues: kindness, which generates joy and inner peace, science, which dissipates doubt, and bravery, which drives away all forms of fear. Up next, we will share with you some quotes by Confucius that are still relevant today.

Confucius’ ideas about living wisely

A great deal of Confucius’ philosophy is dedicated to offering capsules of wisdom about how to live fruitfully and how to reach virtue. In his thought, you can see a tolerant spirit, one which advocates for reflection and the moderation of one’s behavior. This is reflected in the following ideas:

“Some money prevents problems; a lot of money attracts them.”

“Everything has its own beauty, but not everyone can see it.”

“When the goal seems difficult, don’t change the objective; seek a new path to achieve it.”

“Going too far is not as bad as not going far enough.”

“He who dominates his rage, dominates his worst enemy.”

“It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness.”

“Music produces a kind of pleasure without which human nature cannot be endured.”

“Revenge eternalizes hatred.”

“Vices come like passengers, they visit us as guests and stay as masters.”

“Never bet. If you know that you are going to beat the other person, you’re a cheater… And if you don’t know, you’re a fool.”

Coherence, the test of virtue

In Confucius’ thinking, there are various allusions to the importance of coherence between your way of thinking, feeling and acting. It gives a special importance to one’s actions, because these are what reveal the true validity of one’s words. It rejects artificial postures and highlights simplicity. This is what he thinks about it:

“A superior man is modest when he speaks, but bountiful when he acts.”

“Artificial language and flattery rarely accompany virtue.”

“The most elevated type of man is he who acts before he speaks, and practices what he preaches.”

“Seeing justice and not doing it is cowardice.”

“Just as water takes the shape of the vessel which contains it, a wise man must adapt to the circumstances.”

“Give a man a fish, and he will eat for a day. Teach him to fish, and he will eat his whole life.”

“Wisdom strives to be slow in its speeches and diligent in its actions.”

“Only the most excellent sages and the most stubborn fools are incomprehensible.”

Interacting with others

In Confucius’ philosophy, there are many reflections which attempt to propose adequate ways to carry on relationships between people. Respect must be the base of every society, and generosity is a maximum good, which brings happiness to whoever practices it. He promotes the idea of judging others in a kind manner, as well as harmoniously. Let’s look at some wise pieces of advice about this matter.

“He who strives to assure someone else’s well-being, has already secured his own.”

“Demand a lot from yourself and very little from others. This way you’ll spare yourself a lot of unease.”

“Nature makes men similar to one another and come together. Education makes us different and makes us move way from one another.”

“Human nature is good and evil is essentially unnatural.”

“What the wise man wants, he seeks within himself. What the common man wants, he seeks within others.”

“A man’s defects always conform to his type of mind. Observe his defects, and you’ll know his virtues.”

“Youngsters and servants are the most difficult people to manage. If you go easy on them, they become disrespectful; if you push them away, they resent you.”

“Don’t answer a word said in anger with another of equal tenor. It is the second, yours, which will surely lead you into the fray.”

Knowledge

Education and knowledge are essential parts of Confucius’ philosophy. This thinker genuinely believed that humans are good by nature. But that this human nature has to be cultivated and formed so that it may reach its best expression. Knowing is a sure way to reach virtue, and virtue brings with it inner peace and happiness. The following aphorisms reflect his thoughts on the subject:

“He who knows how much is enough, will always have a lot.”

“A good leader knows what is true. A bad leader knows what is easiest to sell.”

“A man that has made a mistake and doesn’t correct it will make another, even bigger, mistake.”

“He who has learned the truth in the morning, can now die at sunset.”

“The most noble kind of man has an open mind free of prejudice. The more inferior type of man is prejudiced and lacks an open mind.”

“There are three paths that lead to wisdom: imitation, the most simple path; reflection, the most noble; and experience, the most bitter.”

“Ignorance is the night of the mind, but a night without moon or stars.”

Tell us which has been your favorite reflection from this ancient and yet also modern thinker!

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