The Master said, "Learning without thought is labour lost; thought without learning is perilous."

Tse-kung asked which of the two, Shih or Shang, was the superior. The Master said, "Shih goes beyond the due mean, and Shang does not come up to it."

"Then," said Tse-kung, "the superiority is with Shih, I suppose."

The Master said, "To go beyond is as wrong as to fall short."

Someone addressed Confucius, saying, "Sir, why are you not engaged in the government?"

The Master said, "What does the Shu-ching say of filial piety?—"You are filial, you discharge your brotherly duties. These qualities are displayed in government." This then also constitutes the exercise of government."

The Master said, "He who acts with a constant view to his own advantage will be much murmured against."

The Master said, "The mind of the superior man is conversant with righteousness; the mind of the mean man is conversant with gain."

The Master said, "Is he not a man of complete virtue, who feels no discomposure though men may take no note of him?"

Chi K'ang asked how to cause the people to reverence their ruler, to be faithful to him, and to go onto...virtue. The Master said, "Let him preside over them with gravity—then they will reverence him. Let him advance the good and teach the incompetent—then they will eagerly seek to be virtuous."

The Master said, "At first, my way with men was to hear their words and give them credit for their conduct. Now my way is to hear their words and look at their conduct. It is from Yu that I have learned to make this change."

The Master said, "A man should say, "I am not concerned that I have no [esteemed position], I am concerned how I may fit myself for one. I am not concerned that I am not known, I seek to be worthy to be known."

The Master said, "At fifteen, I had my mind bent on learning. At thirty, I stood firm. At forty, I had no doubts. At fifty, I knew the decrees of heaven. At sixty, my ear was an obedient organ for the reception of truth. At seventy, I could follow what my heart desired without transgressing what was right."

The Master said, "Yu, shall I teach you what knowledge is? 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—that is knowledge."

Tsze-yu asked what filial piety was. The Master said, "The filial piety of nowadays means the support of one's parents. But dogs and horses likewise are able to do something in the way of support—without reverence, what is there to distinguish the one support given from the other?

Yu asked whether he should immediately carry into practice what he heard. The master said, "There are your father and elder brothers to be consulted—why should you act on that principle of immediately carrying into practice what you hear?" Ch'iu asked the same, whether he should carry immediately into practice what he heard, and the Master answered, "Immediately carry into practice what you hear." Kung-his Hwa said, "Yu asked and you said, 'There are your father and elder brothers to be consulted.' Ch'iu asked whether he should immediately carry into practice what he heard, and you said, 'Carry it immediately into practice.' I...am perplexed, and venture to ask you for an explanation." The Master said, "Ch'iu is retiring and slow; therefore I urged him forward. Yu has more than his own share of energy; therefore, I kept him back."

20 Proverbs from the Bible

My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not.
If they say: "Come with us,
Let us lie in wait for blood,
Let us lurk for the innocent without cause...
Let us all have one purse,"
My son, walk not thou in the way with them...
These lie in wait for their own blood. They lurk for their own lives.

He that walketh with wise men shall be wise..

The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge.

...deliver thee from the strange woman,
Even from the alien woman that maketh smooth her words...
For her house sinketh down unto death...
None that go unto her return,
Neither do they attain unto the paths of life.

A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches.

Happy is the man that findeth wisdom...
For the merchandise of it is better than the merchandise of silver,
And the gain thereof than fine gold.

A base person, a man of iniquity, is he that walketh with a froward mouth;
That winketh with his eyes, that speaketh with his feet, that pointeth with his fingers;
Frowardness is in his heart, he deviseth evil continually.

He soweth discord, therefore shall his calamity come suddenly;
On a sudden shall he be broken, and that without remedy.

Who can say "I have made my heart clear, I am pure from my sin?"

Even in laughter the heart acheth;
And the end of mirth is heaviness.

My son, forget not my teaching,
But let thy heart keep my commandments;
For length of days, and years of life,

And peace, will they add to thee.
Let not kindness and truth forsake thee...
So shalt thou find grace and good favor
In the sight of God and man.

A merry heart is good medicine;
But a broken spirit drieth the bones.

Righteousness exalteth a nation.

Go to the ant, thou sluggard.
Consider her ways, and be wise;
Which having no chief, overseer, or ruler,
Provideth her bread in the summer,
And gathereth her food in the harvest.
How long wilt thou sleep, o sluggard?

A man's gift maketh room for him,
And bringeth him before great men.

He that troubleth his own house shall inherit the wind.

"It is bad, it is bad," saith the buyer;
But when he is gone his way, then he boasteth.

He that pleadeth his cause first seemeth just;
But his neighbor cometh and searcheth him out.

In the multitude of words there [doth not lack] transgression;
But he that refraineth his lips is wise.

20 Maxims from Ben Franklin's Poor Richard's Almanac

At the working man's house Hunger looks in, but dares not enter.

Avoid dishonest gain: no price can recompense the pangs of vice.

Fish and Visitors stink after three days.

None but the well-bred Man knows how to confess a fault, or acknowledge himself in an error.

The Morning Daylight appears plainer when you put out your candle.

All Blood is alike ancient.

He that can compose himself, is wiser than he that composes books.

How many observe Christ's Birthday; How few his precepts!

He that riseth late, must trot all day, and shall scarce overtake his business at night.

The Way to see by Faith is to shut the Eye of Reason.

Hear Reason, or she'll make you feel her.

Experience keeps a dear school, yet Fools will learn in no other.

Who has deceiv'd thee so oft as thyself'?

Great Good-nature, without Prudence, is a great Misfortune.

Well done is better than well said.

At 20 years of age the will reigns; at 30 the wit; at 40 the judgment.

He that would like to live in peace and at ease, must not speak all he knows, nor judge all he sees.

When Knaves fall out [with each other], honest men get their goods: When Priests dispute, we come at the Truth.

Many a long dispute among Divines may be thus abridged: It is so, It is not so; It is so, It is not so.

Tim was so learned, that he could name a Horse in nine Languages. So ignorant, that he bought a Cow to ride on.