The Thought Of Confucius: An Important Legacy For Humanity
Confucius was a deeply transcendental Chinese philosopher and the echo of his thoughts, from the year 535 BC, has reached the present day. He lived in a time when wars and confusion reigned. Despite this, he never abandoned his commitment to find and follow a path that would allow him to overcome difficulties through knowledge.
When he was 50, he began traveling all over China. During his travels, he spread his thoughts, especially in the form of aphorisms. He became so important and influential that he soon began to fill the squares, and even politicians and men of power began to adopt his reflections.
Confucius’s thinking revolves around education as a source of virtue. Above all, he preaches 3 virtues: GOODNESS, which is a source of joy and inner peace; SCIENCE, which allows doubts to be extinguished; COURAGE, which removes any form of fear. In our article today we want to share with you some sentences from Confucius that continue to be valid and important today.
Confucius’ ideas on living wisely
Much of Confucius’s philosophy is concerned with offering little pills of wisdom about a lifestyle that is useful and by which virtue can be achieved. In his thought it is possible to observe a spirit of tolerance that preaches reflection and moderation of behavior. All these characteristics are reflected in some of his sentences such as:
“Little money avoids worries; it attracts them a lot “
“Everything has its beauty, but not everyone sees it”
“When the goal seems too difficult, don’t change it; look for a new way to reach it “
“Going a short distance is just as wrong as not going all the way”
“He who dominates his anger dominates his worst enemy”
“It is better to light a small candle than to curse the darkness”
“Music produces a pleasure that human nature cannot do without”
“Revenge makes hatred eternal”
“Vices arrive as passengers, visit us as guests and remain as masters”
“Never bet. If you know that you will win over the other, you are a cheater … And if you do not know it, you are a fool ”.
Consistency: a proof of virtue
In Confucius’ thought we find many references to the importance of congruence between one’s way of thinking, feeling and acting. Confucius gives particular importance to actions, since it is these that reveal the authentic validity of words. Reject false positions and emphasize simplicity. Let’s see some of his aphorisms about it:
“The superior man is modest in words, but excels in action”
“People of dressed up appearance and artificial words are rarely virtuous”
“The wise man acts before he speaks and then speaks according to his action”
“Seeing what is right and not doing it is a lack of courage”
“Just as water takes the shape of the container that contains it, a wise man must adapt to circumstances”
“Give a man a fish and you will feed him for a day. Teach him to fish and you will feed him for life “
“Wisdom is concerned with being slow in its speeches and diligent in its actions”
“Only the wisest and most stupid of men are incomprehensible”
The relationship with others
In the philosophy of Confucius we also find many reflections that propose how to conduct relationships with others in the right way. Respect must be the basis of any society and generosity is a primary good that brings luck to those who practice it. It also promotes the idea of judging others in a benevolent way and of maintaining harmony. Let’s see some of his wise advice on this.
“ Whoever wishes to procure the good of others has already ensured their own”
“You demand a lot from yourself and expect little from others. This way you will avoid sorrows “
“Nature makes all men alike and pushes them to unite; education makes us different and makes us move away “
“Human nature is good and evil is essentially unnatural”
“The wise demand the most of himself, the little man expects everything from others”
“A man’s flaws always fit his type of mind. Observe its defects and you will know its virtues “
“Young people and servants are the most difficult to manage. If they are treated with familiarity, they become disrespectful; if they are turned away, they become frustrated “
“Don’t respond to an angry word with another of the same type. It is the second, yours, which will surely lead you to dispute ”.
Knowledge
Education and knowledge are a fundamental part of Confucius’ philosophy. This thinker firmly believed that human nature was good, but that it must be cultivated and formed in order to reach its maximum expression.
Knowledge is a sure way through which reaching virtue and virtue brings inner peace and happiness with it. These last aphorisms reflect his thoughts on the subject:
“Who knows enough always has enough”
“A good boss knows what truth is, a bad boss knows what sells best”
“A man who made a mistake and didn’t fix it, made another mistake”
“If a man knows the right path in the morning, he can die the same evening without any regrets”
“The noblest man has an open mind and free of prejudices. The inferior man is full of prejudices and does not have an open mind “
“There are three ways to learn wisdom: first, with reflection, which is the noblest method; second, with imitation, which is the easiest method; third, with experience, which is the most bitter method “
“Ignorance is the night of the mind, but a night without moon or stars”
Let us know which reflection you liked the most about this ancient and contemporary philosopher at the same time!
