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
What the superior man seeks is in himself; what the small man seeks is in others.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The superior individual finds happiness and fulfillment within themselves, while the lesser individual relies on external validation.
This quote by Confucius illustrates a profound philosophical perspective on the nature of self-reliance and external validation. It suggests that truly admirable individuals focus on their inner qualities, values, and growth, while those who are less developed tend to seek approval and validation from others. This distinction speaks to the importance of self-discovery and personal integrity in leading a fulfilling life.
Themes
SelfValidationInner PeacePersonal GrowthSelf-Reliance
In practice
Example use cases
In a motivational speech about 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
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Dalai LamaRead
It has drowned the most heavenly ecstasies of religious fervour, of chivalrous enthusiasm, of Philistine sentimentalism, in the icy water of egotistical calculation. It has resolved personal worth into exchange value, and in place of numberless indefeasible chartered freedoms, it has set up that single, unconscionable freedom -- free trade. In one word, for exploitation, veiled by religious and political illusions, it has substituted naked, shameless, direct, brutal exploitation.
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There are souls that are incurable and lost to the rest of society. Deprive them of one means of folly, they will invent ten thousand others. They will create subtler, wilder methods, methods that are absolutely DESPERATE. Nature herself is fundamentally antisocial, it is only by a usurpation of powers that the organized body of society opposes the natural inclination of humanity.
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Those doves below, the ones utterly cared for, never endangered ones, cannot know tenderness.
Rainer Maria RilkeRead
Though we travel the world over to find beauty, we must carry it with us or we find it not . . . The difference between landscape and landscape is small, but there is a great difference in beholders.
Ralph Waldo EmersonRead
The world is by no means averse to religion. In fact, it is devoted to it with a passion. It will buy any recipe for salvation as long as that formula leaves the responsibility for cooking up salvation firmly in human hands. The world is drowning in religion. But it is scared out of its wits by any mention of the grace that takes the world home gratis.
Robert Farrar CaponRead