Confucius Quotes
The words of Confucius were collected by his students in the Analects. Every quote below gives its book and chapter in James Legge's classic translation, so you can look it up. Most of the “Confucius says” lines online are not in the Analects at all.
4 real Confucius quotes, with sources
“When you know a thing, to hold that you know it; and when you do not know a thing, to allow that you do not know it — this is knowledge.”Confucius — Analects 2.17 (tr. James Legge)
“Learning without thought is labour lost; thought without learning is perilous.”Confucius — Analects 2.15 (tr. James Legge)
“When I walk along with two others, they may serve me as my teachers.”Confucius — Analects 7.21 (tr. James Legge)
“What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.”Confucius — Analects 15.23 (tr. James Legge)
Famous quotes Confucius never said
“Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”Not in the Analects. Similar wording appears in the 18th-century English writer Oliver Goldsmith.
“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”Not found in the Analects or other early Confucian texts. The attribution is modern.
“Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance.”A loose modern rewording of Analects 2.17, quoted correctly above.
Who was Confucius?
A teacher and minor official in the state of Lu, Confucius wandered between Chinese states for years, looking for a ruler who would govern with virtue. His sayings became the foundation of East Asian ethics, education and government for over two thousand years. Read more on Wikipedia.
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What is Confucius's most famous quote?
One of the best known is “What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.” (Analects 15.23 (tr. James Legge))
Did Confucius really say “Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.”?
No. Not in the Analects. Similar wording appears in the 18th-century English writer Oliver Goldsmith.
Did Confucius really say “It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”?
No. Not found in the Analects or other early Confucian texts. The attribution is modern.
Did Confucius really say “Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance.”?
No. A loose modern rewording of Analects 2.17, quoted correctly above.
Where do these Confucius quotes come from?
The words of Confucius were collected by his students in the Analects. Every quote below gives its book and chapter in James Legge's classic translation, so you can look it up. Most of the “Confucius says” lines online are not in the Analects at all.
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