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Never give a sword to a man who can't dance.Confucius
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When the wind blows, the grass bends.Confucius
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If names be not correct, language is not in accordance with the truth of things. If language be not in accordance with the truth of things, affairs cannot be carried on to success. When affairs cannot be carried on to success, proprieties and music do not flourish.Confucius
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The wise never doubt. The Humane never worry. The brave never fear.Confucius
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One who never anticipates deceit or expects duplicity, and yet is the first to recognize such things — is that not a sage indeed?Confucius
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I am not one who was born with great wisdom. I love the ancients and diligently seek wisdom among them.Confucius
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Am I a man of great wisdom? Hardly! Even when a simple person brings me a question, my mind goes utterly blank, I just thrash it out until I’ve exhausted every possibility.Confucius
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If things far away don’t concern you, you’ll soon mourn things close at hand.Confucius
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Don’t grieve when people fail to recognize your ability. Grieve for your lack of ability instead.Confucius
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If a craftsman wants to do good work, he must first sharpen his tools.Confucius
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If you want to make a stand, help others make a stand, and if you want to reach your goal, help others reach their goal. Consider yourself and treat others accordingly: this is the method of Humanity.Confucius
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The noble-minded worry about their lack of ability, not about people’s failure to recognize their ability.Confucius
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In worthy teaching, all things are related.Confucius
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To one who is not eager I do not reveal anything, nor do I explain anything to one who is not communicative. If I raise one corner for someone and he cannot come back with the other three, I do not go on.Confucius
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How can you love people without encouraging them? And how can you be loyal to people without educating them.Confucius
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If you expect great things of yourself and demand little of others, you’ll keep resentment far away.Confucius
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A noble minded person is not an implement.Confucius
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What can a man do with music who is not benevolent?Confucius
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To be wealthy and honored in an unjust society is a disgrace.Confucius
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A legendary horse is praised not for its strength, but for its Integrity.Confucius
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Naming enables the noble-minded to speak, and speech enables the noble-minded to act. Therefore, the noble-minded are anything but careless in speech.Confucius
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Language is insight itself.Confucius
23
When the Master entered the great temple he asked about everything. Someone said, ‘Who will say that this son of the man of Zou knows about ritual? When he enters the temple, he asks about everything’. The Master heard of it and said, ‘This is the ritual’.Confucius
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If I raise one corner for someone and he cannot come back with the other three, I do not go on.Confucius
25
Cautiously, you avoid trouble. See all that you can — then, if you forget the perilous andConfucius
26
Tsze-kung wished to dispense with the sacrifice of a sheep for the New Moon ceremony. The Master said, "You love the sheep; I love the ceremony.Confucius
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Ji Wenzi always thought thrice before acting. Hearing this the Master said, "Twice is enough.Confucius
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If you look at their intentions, examine their motives, and scrutinize what brings them contentment — how can people hide who they are? How can they hide who they really are?Confucius
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The noble-minded encourage what is beautiful in people and discourage what is ugly in them. Little people do just the opposite.Confucius
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A gentleman is not a pot.Confucius
31
Lead the people with administrative injunctions and put them in their place with penal law, and they will avoid punishments but will be without a sense of shame. Lead them with excellence and put them in their place through roles and ritual practices, and in addition to developing a sense of shame, they will order themselves harmoniouslyConfucius
32
When everyone hates a person, you should investigate thoroughly, and when everyone loves a person, you should also investigate thoroughly.Confucius
33
In following the Way, the noble-minded treasure three things: a manner free of violence and arrogance, a countenance full of sincerity and trust, a voice free of vulgarity and impropriety.Confucius
34
Worthy admonitions cannot fail to inspire us, but what matters is changing ourselves. Reverent advice cannot fail to encourage us, but what matters is acting on it. Encouraged without acting, inspired without changing — there’s nothing to be done for such people.Confucius
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Lord Chi Wen thought three times before taking any action. When the Master heard this, he said: Twice is plenty enough.Confucius
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Hold faithfulness and sincerity as first principles.Confucius
37
Poor food and water for dinner, a bent arm for a pillow — that is where joy resides. For me, wealth and renown without honor are nothing but drifting clouds.Confucius
38
Clever talk, ingratiating looks, fawning reverence: Tso-ch’iu Ming found that shameful, and so do I. Friendly while harboring resentment: Tso-ch’iu Ming found that shameful, too, and so do I.Confucius