The Analects Quotes

#1. Confucius said: "I do not see what use a man can be put to, whose word cannot be
trusted."
- The Analects of Confucius, 2.22
Confucius

Judith A. Boss

#2. Our fortunes rise together, and they fall together. 'All men are brothers,' said the Analects. We have a collective responsibility-to bring about a more stable and more prosperous world, a world in which every person in every country can reach their full potential.

Christine Lagarde

#3. The easiest way for Americans to make sense of Chinese history is to compare everything to Jewish history. There's an analogue for everything. Torah: Analects. Curly sideburns: long ponytails. Mantou: bagels.

Eddie Huang

#4. The Master said, "What a worthy man was Yan Hui! Living in a narrow alley, subsisting upon meager bits of rice and water - other people could not have borne such hardship, and yet it never spoiled Hui's joy. What a worthy man was Hui!"
(Analects 6.11)

Confucius

#5. The Master said, "The gentleman does not serve as a vessel."
(Analects 2.12)

Confucius

#6. The Master said of Gong Yechang, "He is marriageable. Although he was once imprisoned and branded as a criminal, he was in fact innocent of any crime." The Master gave him his daughter in marriage.
(Analects 5.1)

Confucius

#7. The Master said, "To study, and then in a timely fashion to practice what you have learned - is this not satisfying? To have companions arrive from afar - is this not a joy? To remain unrecognized by others and yet remain free of resentment - is this not the mark of the gentleman?"
(Analects 1.1)

Confucius

#8. The Master said, "A true teacher is one who, keeping the past alive, is also able to understand the present."
(Analects 2.11)

Confucius

#9. The Master said, "The gentleman understands what is right, whereas the petty man understands profit."
(Analects 4.16)

Confucius

#10. The Master said, "A true gentleman is one who has set his heart upon the Way. A fellow who is ashamed merely of shabby clothing or modest meals is not even worth conversing with."
(Analects 4.9)

Confucius