Speak the truth, do not yield to anger; give, if thou art asked for little; by these three steps thou wilt go near the gods.
ConfuciusRead
The demands that good people make are upon themselves; Those that bad people make are upon others.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Good individuals hold themselves accountable, while those with bad intentions impose their demands on others.
This quote by Confucius illustrates the fundamental difference in the behavior and expectations of good versus bad individuals. Good people tend to set high standards for themselves, striving for self-improvement and accountability, whereas bad people often shift their responsibilities to others, demanding more from others without fulfilling their own obligations. This reflects a deeper philosophical principle regarding morality and individual responsibility.
Themes
ResponsibilityAccountabilityMoralitySelf-ImprovementDemand
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about personal growth, this quote can emphasize the importance of self-responsibility.
More from Confucius
All quotes βEarnest in practicing the ordinary virtues, and careful in speaking about them, if, in his practice, he has anything defective, the superior man dares not but exert himself; and if, in his words, he has any excess, he dares not allow himself such license.
ConfuciusRead
When you see a good person, think of becoming like her/him. When you see someone not so good, reflect on your own weak points.
ConfuciusRead
Never give a sword to a man who can't dance.
ConfuciusRead
The superior man is distressed by the limitations of his ability; he is not distressed by the fact that men do not recognize the ability that he has.
ConfuciusRead
Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.
ConfuciusRead
Similar quotes
Here we have the paradox, the potentially tragic paradox, that our relatedness to others is an essential aspect of our being, as is our separateness, but any particular person is not a necessary part of our being.
R. D. LaingRead
For some reason, the most vocal Christians among us never mention the Beatitudes (Matthew 5). But, often with tears in their eyes, they demand that the Ten Commandments be posted in public buildings. And of course, that's Moses, not Jesus. I haven't heard one of them demand that the Sermon on the Mount, the Beatitudes, be posted anywhere. "Blessed are the merciful" in a courtroom? "Blessed are the peacemakers" in the Pentagon? Give me a break!
Kurt VonnegutRead
Since God often sends us inspirations by means of His angels, we should frequently return our aspirations to him by means of the same messengers.
Saint Francis De SalesRead
You go to someone and you think, 'I'll tell him this.' But why? The impulse is that the telling is going to relieve you. And that's why you feel awful later--you've relieved yourself, and if it truly is tragic and awful, it's not better, it's worse---the exhibitionism inherent to a confession has only made the misery worse.
Philip RothRead
Humanism was not wrong in thinking that truth, beauty, liberty, and equality are of infinite value, but in thinking that man can get them for himself without grace.
Simone WeilRead
God could cause us considerable embarrassment by revealing all the secrets of nature to us: we should not know what to do for sheer apathy and boredom.
Johann Wolfgang Von GoetheRead