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
When you see a good man, try to emulate his example, and when you see a bad man, search yourself for his faults.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote encourages us to learn from both good and bad examples in our lives.
Confucius emphasizes the importance of self-reflection and learning from the behavior of others. When we encounter someone who embodies good qualities, we should strive to mirror those positive traits in ourselves. Conversely, when faced with someone who displays undesirable characteristics, we should critically examine our own actions and flaws, ensuring we do not replicate such behavior in our own lives. This approach fosters personal growth and ethical development.
Themes
WisdomSelf-ReflectionLearningCharacterGrowth
In practice
Example use cases
In a speech about personal development, one might quote this to inspire self-improvement.
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
It is our decisions not our conditions that determine our quality of life.
John C. MaxwellRead
A vigorous temper is not altogether an evil. Men who are easy as an old shoe are generally of little worth.
Charles SpurgeonRead
The things hardest to bear are sweetest to remember.
Lucius Annaeus SenecaRead
Every book I've written has been a different attempt to understand something, and the success or failure of the previous one is irrelevant. I write the book I want.
Yann MartelRead
People get out ahead of themselves in debt with spending on all of their desires. But if you learn to live pretty simply and well, well under your means, you feel incredibly, incredibly rich, and that frees you up and gives you the option to start something new, to leave the job you're not excited about, where there might be a glass ceiling on you.
Chris SaccaRead
I thought, I need to be more cautious about my choices - it reflects on who I am.
Heath LedgerRead