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Yin And Yang, Male And Female, Strong And Weak, Rigid And Tender, Heaven And Earth, Light And Darkness, Thunder And Lightning, Cold And Warmth, Good And Evil...the Interplay Of Opposite Principles Constitutes The Universe.

-Confucius

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Yin And Yang, Male

Confucius

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Yin And Yang, Male And Female, Strong And Weak, Rigid And Tender, Heaven And Earth, Light And Darkness, Thunder And Lightning, Cold And Warmth, Good And Evil...the Interplay Of Opposite Principles Constitutes The Universe.

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More From Confucius

Study The Past If You Would Define The Future. I Am Not One Who Was Born In The Possession Of Knowledge; I Am One Who Is Fond Of Antiquity, And Earnest In Seeking It There. Learning Without Thought Is Labor Lost; Thought Without Learning Is Perilous.

Plan Ahead Or Find Trouble On The Doorstep.

It Is Better To Play Than Do Nothing.

Hold Faithfulness And Sincerity As First Principles.

Never Overlook Wallflower At Dance; May Be Dandelion In Grass.

Of All That Heaven Produces And Nourishes, There Is None So Great As Man.

The Essence Of Knowledge Is, Having It, To Use It.

The Superior Man * * * In Regard To His Speech * * * Is Anxious That It Should Be Sincere.

When You Locate Good In Yourself, Approve Of It With Determination. When You Locate Evil In Yourself, Despise It As Something Detestable.

The Superior Man Is Aware Of Righteousness, The Inferior Man Is Aware Of Advantage.

Teachers Open The Door ... You Enter By Yourself.

Have No Friends Not Equal To Yourself.

Attack The Evil That Is Within Yourself, Rather Than Attacking The Evil That Is In Others.

Wisdom, Humanity & Courage, These Three Are Universal Virtues. The Way By Which They Are Practiced Are One.

I Am Not Concerned That I Am Not Known, I Seek To Be Worthy To Be Known.

One Dedicated Worker Is Worth A Thousand Slaves.

The Man Who Moves A Mountain Begins By Carrying Away Small Stones.

Never Do To Others What You Would Not Like Them To Do To You.

When Strict With Oneself, One Rarely Fails.

Heaven Is Author Of The Virtue That Is In Me

Men Of Principle Are Sure To Be Bold, But Those Who Are Bold May Not Always Be Men Of Principle.

When The Wind Blows,the Grass Bends.

There Is Nothing Impossible In All The World Except That The Heart Of Man Is Wanting In Resolution.

If Names Be Not Correct, Language Is Not In Accordance With The Truth Of Things.

The Green Reed Which Bends In The Wind Is Stronger Than The Mighty Oak Which Breaks In A Storm.

The Proper Man Understands Equity, The Small Man Profits.

It Is Not The Failure Of Others To Appreciate Your Abilities That Should Trouble You, But Rather Your Failure To Appreciate Theirs.

Place Where Man Laughs, Sings, Picks Flowers, Chases Butterflies And Pets Birds, Makes Love With Maidens, And Plays With Children. Here He Spontaneously Reveals His Nature, The Base As Well As The Noble. Here Also He Buries His Sorrows And Difficulties And Cherishes His Ideals And Hopes. It Is In The Garden That Men Discover Themselves. Indeed One Discovers Not Only His Real Self But Also His Ideal Self?he Returns To His Youth. Inevitably The Garden Is Made The Scene Of Man's Merriment, Escapades, Romantic Abandonment, Spiritual Awakening Or The Perfection Of His Finer Self.

If You Don't Know The Life Yet, How Could Be Possible For You To Know The Death?

One Who Is By Nature Daring And Is Suffering From Poverty Will Not Long Be Law-abiding. Indeed, Any Men, Save Those That Are Truly Good, If Their Sufferings Are Very Great, Will Be Likely To Rebel.

Who Keeps The Old Akindle And Adds New Knowledge Is Fitted To Be A Teacher.

A Country Of A Thousand War-chariots Cannot Be Administered Unless The Ruler Attends Strictly To Business, Punctually Observes His Promises, Is Economical In Expenditure, Loves The People, And Uses The Labor Of The Peasantry Only At The Proper Times Of Year.

Benevolence Is The Characteristic Element Of Humanity.

Characteristics

A Man Without Persistence Will Never Make A Good Shaman Or A Good Physician.

Do Not Unto Another That You Would Hot Have Him Do Unto You. Thou Needest This Law Alone. It Is The Foundation Of All The Rest.

Every Thoughtful Pin On Pinterest Has Beauty. But Not Everyone Can See.

In Ancient Times, Those Who Wished To Illuminate The World With Virtue First Brought Order To Their Nations. Wishing To Order Well Their Nations, They First Harmonized Their Families. Wishing To Harmonize Their Families, They First Cultivated Themselves. Wishing To Cultivate Themselves, They First Rectified Their Minds. Those Who Wished To Rectify Their Minds First Made Their Intentions Sincere.

To Go Beyond Is As Wrong As To Fall Short.

Let Every Man Consider Virtue As What Devolves On Himself. He May Not Yield The Performance Of It Even To His Teacher.

Sir, In Carrying On Your Government, Why Should You Use Killing At All? Let Your Evinced Desires Be For What Is Good, And The People Will Be Good. The Relation Between Superiors And Inferiors Is Like That Between The Wind And The Grass. The Grass Must Bend, When The Wind Blows Across It.

Every Journey Starts With A Single Step.

To Know And Not Do, Is To Not Yet Know.

I Will Not Be Concerned At Other Men's Not Knowing Me;i Will Be Concerned At My Own Want Of Ability.

The Superior Man Is Slow In His Words And Earnest In His Conduct.

I'd Rather Die For Speaking Out, Than To Live And Be Silent.

Of Course You Want To Be Rich And Famous. It's Natural. Wealth And Fame Are What Every Man Desires. The Question Is: What Are You Willing To Trade For It?

What The Wise Seek Is In Themselves

When Admins Have Faults, They Do Not Fear To Ignore Them

Therefore The Superior Man Is Watchful Over Himself, When He Is Alone.

If A Superior Man Abandon Virtue, How Can He Fulfil The Requirements Of That Name?

Desire To Have Things Done Quickly Prevents Their Being Done Thoroughly.

In A Hamlet Of Ten Households, There Are Bound To Be Those Who Are My Equal In Doing Their Best For Others And In Being Trustworthy In What They Say, But They Are Unlikely To Be As Eager To Learn As I Am.

If Language Is Not Correct, Then What Is Said Is Not What Is Meant. If What Is Said Is Not What Is Meant, Then What Ought To Be Done, Remains Undone.

Reading Without Thinking Will Confuse You.thinking Without Reading Will Place You In Danger.

You Must Find Time For Reading, Or Surrender Yourself To Self-chosen Ignorance.

The Superior Man Undergoes Three Changes. Looked At From A Distance, He Appears Stern; When Approached, He Is Mild; When He Is Heard To Speak, His Language Is Firm And Decided.

A Good Man Is Not Mine To See. Could I See A Man Possessed Of Constancy, That Would Satisfy Me.

Recompense Injury With Justice, And Recompense Kindness With Kindness.

When Music And Courtesy Are Better Understood And Appreciated, There Will Be No War.

A Man Who Lacks Reliability Is Utterly Useless.

Those Who Break Down The Dikes Will Themselves Be Drowned In The Inundation.

To Give Oneself Ernestly To Securing Righteousness And Justice Among The People, And While Respecting The Gods And Demons, To Keep Aloof From Them, That May Be Called Wisdom.

The Tongue Must Be Heavy Indeed, Because So Few People Can Hold It

Virtue Is More To Man Than Either Water Or Fire. I Have Seen Men Die From Treading On Water And Fire, But I Have Never Seen A Man Die From Treading The Course Of Virtue.

The Superior Man, While His Parents Are Alive, Reverently Nourishes Them; And, When They Are Dead, Reverently Sacrifices To Them. His Thought To The End Of His Life Is How Not To Disgrace Them.

There Are 3 Elements Essential In The Matters Of The State, Food, Military Equipment, And Confidence Of The People In The Ruler. Of These 3, Military Equipment Is The Least Important, Food Being The 2nd Important, And Confidence Of The People Being The Most Important. All Men Rather Die Of Starvation Than In War, But Nevertheless All Men Do Die Of Old Age. Lacking In Confidence From The People, A State Cannot Survive.

We Should Feel Sorrow, But Not Sink Under Its Oppression.

If Language Is Not Correct, Then What Is Said Is Not What Is Meant; If What Is Said Is Not What Is Meant, Then What Must Be Done Remains Undone; If This Remains Undone, Morals And Art Will Deteriorate; If Justice Goes Astray, The People Will Stand About In Helpless Confusion. Hence There Must Be No Arbitrariness In What Is Said. This Matters Above Everything.

To Be Wronged Is Nothing Unless You Continue To Remember It.

A Scholar Who Loves Comfort Is Not Fit To Be Called A Scholar.

Heaven, In The Production Of Things, Is Sure To Be Bountiful To Them, According To Their Qualities. Hence The Tree That Is Flourishing, It Nourishes, While That Which Is Ready To Fall, It Overthrows.

To Study And At Times Practice What One Has Learned, Is This Not A Pleasure?

He Who Learns But Does Not Think, Is Lost! He Who Thinks But Does Not Learn Is In Great Danger... Men Of Superior Mind Busy Themselves First Getting At The Root Of Things; When They Succeed, The Right Course Is Open To Them.

How Great Is The Path Proper To The Sage! Like Overflowing Water, It Sends Forth And Nourishes All Things, And Rises Up To The Height Of Heaven. All-complete Is Its Greatness! It Embraces The Three Hundred Rules Of Ceremony, And The Three Thousand Rules Of Demeanor. It Waits For The Proper Man, And Then It Is Trodden. Hence It Is Said, 'only By Perfect Virtue Can The Perfect Path, In All Its Courses, Be Made A Fact.'

A Knight Whose Heart Is Set Upon The Way, But Who Is Ashamed Of Wearing Shabby Clothes And Eating Coarse Food, Is Not Worth Calling Into Counsel.

Roads Were Made For Journeys Not Destinations

The Superior Man Is Firm In The Right Way And Not Merely Firm.

He Who Cannot Describe The Problem Will Never Find The Solution To That Problem.

The Gentleman Is Calm And At Ease. The Gentleman Is Dignified But Not Proud; The Small Man Is Proud But Not Dignified.

The Book Salesman Should Be Honored Because He Brings To Our Attention, As A Rule, The Very Books We Need Most And Neglect Most.

Conscience Is The Inner Voice Which Warns Us That Someone Might Be Looking. Hear And You Forget, See And You Remember, Do And You Understand.

A Youth Is To Be Regarded With Respect. How Do We Know That His Future Will Not Be Equal To Our Present?

When Words Lose Their Meaning, People Lose Their Liberty.

At Fifteen My Mind Was Directed To Study, And At Thirty I Knew Where To Stand.

When You Serve Your Mother And Father It Is Okay To Try To Correct Them Once In A While. But If You See That They Are Not Going To Listen To You, Keep Your Respect For Them And Don't Distance Yourself From Them. Work Without Complaining.

The Superior Man Thinks Always Of Virtue; The Common Man Thinks Of Comfort.

Some May Study Side By Side, And Yet Be Asunder When They Come To The Logic Of Things.

If A Man Remembers What Is Right At The Sign Of Profit, Is Ready To Lay Down His Life In The Face Of Danger, And Does Not Forget Sentiments He Has Repeated All His Life When He Has Been In Straitened Circumstances For A Long Time, He May Be Said To Be A Complete Man.

To Know Is To Know That You Know Nothing. That Is The Meaning Of True Knowledge.

Be Faithful And True Of Word; Let Thy Walk Be Plain And Lowly: Thou Wilt Get On, Though In Savage Land. If Thy Words Be Not Faithful And True, Thy Walk Plain And Lowly, Wilt Thou Get On, Though In Thine Own Home? Standing, See These Words Ranged Before Thee; Driving, See Them Written Upon The Yoke. Then Thou Wilt Get On.

The Demands That A Great Man Makes Are On Himself; Those Of A Petty Man Are Upon Others.

In Old Days Men Studied For The Sake Of Self-improvement; Nowadays Men Study In Order To Impress Other People.

If One Learns From Others, But Does Not Think, One Will Be Bewildered. If, On The Other Hand, One Thinks But Does Not Learn From Others, One Will Be In Peril.

One Who Will Study For Three Years. Without Thought Of Reward. Would Be Hard Indeed To Find.

Reviewing The Day's Lessons. Isn't It Joyful? Friends Come From Far. Isn't It Delightful? One Has Never Been Angry At Other's Misunderstanding. Isn't He A Respectable Man?

Only After Winter Comes Do We Know That The Pine And The Cypress Are The Last To Fade.

The Path May Not Be Left For An Instant. If It Could Be Left, It Would Not Be The Path.

If Your Desire Is For Good, The People Will Be Good.

Good People Strengthen Themselves Ceaselessly

A Gentleman Would Be Ashamed Should His Deeds Not Match His Words.

Deeds And Words

A Gentleman Wishes To Be Slow To Speak And Quick To Act.

When A Man Comes To Me, I Accept Him At His Best, Not At His Worst. Why Make So Much Ado? When A Man Washes His Hands Before Paying A Visit, And You Receive Him In That Clean State, You Do Not Thereby Stand Surety For His Always Having Been Clean In The Past.

A Blemish May Be Removed From A Diamond By Careful Polishing, But Evil Words Once Spoken Cannot Be Effaced.

He Who Needs Only Coarse Food, Water And Drink, And As Pillow His Folded Arms Will Find Happiness Without Further Search.

Finding Happiness

Coarse Rice To Eat, Water To Drink, My Bended Arm For A Pillow - Therein Is Happiness. Wealth And Rank Attained Through Immoral Means Are Nothing But Drifting Clouds.

What Can A Man Do With Music Who Is Not Benevolent?

There Is One Single Thread Binding My Way Together...the Way Of The Master Consists In Doing One's Best...that Is All.

He Who Will Not Economize Will Agonize

A Man Is Great Not Because He Hasn't Failed; A Man Is Great Because Failure Hasn't Stopped Him.

He Who Flatters A Man Is His Enemy. He Who Tells Him Of His Faults Is His Maker.

He Who Is Really Kind, Can Never Be Unhappy

The Love To Wisdom Is Getting Closer To The Own Bright Path.

If Language Is Not Rectified, Words Do Not Correspond To Meaning, And If Words Do Not Correspond To Meaning, Our Deeds Cannot Be Accomplished.

When Nature Exceeds Culture, We Have The Rustic. When Culture Exceeds Nature, We Have The Pedant.

One Who Has Accumulated Virtue Will Certainly Also Possess Eloquence; But He Who Has Eloquence Doe Not Necessarily Possess Virtue.

That A Man Lives Is Because He Is Straight. That A Man Who Dupes Others Survives Is Because He Has Been Fortunate Enough To Be Spared.

To See What Is Right And Not To Do It Is Want Of Courage, Or Of Principle.

If I Do Not Participate In The Sacrifice, It Is As If I Did Not Sacrifice At All.

Don't Be Concerned That You Have No Position; Be Concerned How You May Fit Yourself To Occupy One. .

Transport A Handful Of Earth Everyday And You Will Make A Mountain.

Make Fair Agreements And Stick To Them

When Prosperity Comes, Do Not Use All Of It.

Every Man Knows The Smell Of His Own Fart.

A Wise Man Has Dignity Without Pride; A Fool Has Pride Without Dignity.

Give A Man A Fish, Feed Home For A Day. Teach A Man To Fish, Feed For A Lifetime.

Teach A Man To Fish

The Superior Man Makes The Difficulty To Be Overcome His First Interest; Success Only Comes Later.

Real Knowledge Is To Know The Extent Of One's Ignorance.

We Are So Busy Doing The Urgent That We Don't Have Time To Do The Important.

Learning, Undigested By Thought, Is Labor Lost.

It Is The Obligation Of The Ruler To Continually Renew Himself In Order To Renew The People By His Example.

While The Gentleman Cherishes Benign Rule, The Small Man Cherishes His Native Land. While The Gentleman Cherishes A Respect For The Law, The Small Man Cherishes Generous Treatment.

Keep It Simple And Focus On What Matters. Don't Let Yourself Be Overwhelmed.

The Failure To Cultivate Virtue, The Failure To Examine And Analyze What I Have Learned, The Inability To Move Toward Righteousness After Being Shown The Way, The Inability To Correct My Faults-these Are The Causes Of My Grief.

The Superior Man Accords With The Course Of The Mean. Though He May Be All Unknown, Unregarded By The World, He Feels No Regret - It Is Only The Sage Who Is Able For This.

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.

Heaven Sends Down Its Good And Evil Symbols And Wise Men Act Accordingly.

The Scholar Does Not Consider Gold And Jade To Be Precious Treasures, But Loyalty And Good Faith.

A Wise Man Seeks By Music To Strengthen His Soul: The Thoughtless One Uses It To Stifle His Fears.

If You Want Happiness For A Year, Inherit A Fortune. If You Want Happiness For A Lifetime, Help Someone Else.

The Man Of Wisdom Is Never Of Two Minds; The Man Of Benevolence Never Worries; The Man Of Courage Is Never Afraid.

A Superior Man In Dealing With The World Is Not For Anything Or Against Anything. He Follows Righteousness As The Standard.

From A Grain Of Sand In The Pearl Comes.

Don't Curse The Darkness, Light A Candle.

Knowing What's Correct And Not Doing It, It's The Worst Cowardice.

The Superior Man Has A Dignified Ease Without Pride. The Mean Man Has Pride Without A Dignified Ease.

The Way Out Is Through The Door. Why Is It That No One Will Use This Method?

When Superiors Are Fond Of Showing Their Humanity, Inferiors Try To Outstrip One Another In Their Practice Of It.

The Funniest People Are The Saddest Once

What Is Most Needed For Learning Is A Humble Mind.

If You Yourself Desire Establishment, Then Help Others To Get Establishment; If You Yourself Want Success, Then Help Others To Attain Success.

Be Not Ashamed Of Mistakes And Thus Make Them Crimes.

If I Hold Up One Corner Of A Square And The Student Cannot Workout The Other Three For Himself, I Won't Go Any Further.

What The Great Learning Teaches, Is To Illustrate Illustrious Virtue; To Renovate The People; And To Rest In The Highest Excellence.

To Be Excellent When Engaged In Administration Is To Be Like The North Star. As It Remains In Its One Position, All The Other Stars Surround It.

If A Man Be Under The Influence Of Anger His Conduct Will Not Be Correct.

Be Versed In Ancient Lore, And Familiarize Yourself With The Modern; Then May You Become Teachers.

Sincerity Is That Whereby Self-completion Is Effected, And Its Way Is That By Which Man Must Direct Himself.

Do Not Wish For Quick Results, Nor Look For Small Advantages. If You Seek Quick Results, You Will Not Reach The Ultimate Goal. If You Are Led Astray By Small Advantages, You Will Never Accomplish Great Things.

The Person Of Benevolence Never Worries.

The Three Armies Can Be Deprived Of Their Commanding Officer, But Even A Common Man Cannot Be Deprived Of His Purpose.

Can There Be A Love Which Does Not Make Demands On Its Object?

By The Ruler's Cultivation Of His Own Character There Is Set Up The Example Of The Course Which All Should Pursue.

Looking At Small Advantages Prevents Great Affairs From Being Accomplished.

True Knowledge Is When One Knows The Limitations Of One's Knowledge.

An Image Is Better Than One Thousand Words

If You Want To Change The World, First Change Your Heart.

There Are Three Things Which The Superior Man Guards Against. In Youth ... Lust. When He Is Strong ... Quarrelsomeness. When He Is Old ... Covetousness.

Do Not Treat Others As You Yourself Would Not Be Treated.

Never Contract Friendship With A Man That Is Not Better Than Thyself.

Exemplary Persons Are Steadfast In The Face Of Adversity, While Petty Persons Are Engulfed By It.

A Gentleman Can See A Question From All Sides Without Bias. The Small Man Is Biased And Can See A Question Only From One Side.

Ability Will Never Catch Up With The Demand For It.

Is Virtue A Thing Remote? I Wish To Be Virtuous, And Lo! Virtue Is At Hand.

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.

For Benefits Return Benefits; For Injuries Return Justice Without Any Admixture Of Revenge.

Who Heeds Not The Future Will Find Sorrow At Hand

Only One Who Bursts With Enthusiasm Do I Instruct; Only One Who Bubbles With Excitement Do I Enlighten. If I Hold Up One Corner And You Do Not Come Back To Me With The Other Three, I Do Not Continue The Lesson.

To Be Fond Of Learning Is Near To Wisdom; To Practice With Vigor Is Near To Benevolence; And To Be Conscious Of Shame Is Near To Fortitude.

If You Look Into Your Own Heart, And You Find Nothing Wrong There, What Is There To Worry About? What Is There To Fear?

A Superior Man Is One Who Is Free From Fear And Anxieties

I Have Not Seen One Who Loves Virtue As He Loves Beauty.

Death And Life Have Their Determined Appointments; Riches And Honors Depend Upon Heaven.

The Path Is Not Far From Man. When Men Try To Pursue A Course, Which Is Far From The Common Indications Of Consciousness, This Course Cannot Be Considered The Path.

Never Seek Illicit Wealth.

Not Feeling Compassion For A Stranger Is Like Not Feeling When One's Foot Has Caught Fire

Heaven Begat Virtue In Me; What Can Man Do Unto Me?

The Man Who Says He Can, And The Man Who Says He Can Not.. Are Both Correct

If You Shoot For The Stars And Hit The Moon, It's Ok. But You've Got To Shoot For Something. A Lot Of People Don't Even Shoot.

The Man Who Is Master Of Himself Drinks Gravely And Wisely.

The Requisites Of Government Are That There Be Sufficiency Of Food, Sufficiency Of Military Equipment, And The Confidence Of The People In Their Ruler.

With A Heavy Load And A Long Journey

The Way Of Heaven And Earth May Be Completely Declared In One Sentence: They Are Without Any Doubleness, And So They Produce Things In A Manner That Is Unfathomable.

Straight-forwardness, Without The Rules Of Propriety, Becomes Rudeness.

True Goodness Springs From A Man's Own Heart. All Men Are Born Good.

See A Person's Means ... Observe His Motives. Examine That In Which He Rests. How Can A Person Conceal His Character?

All Things Are Nourished Together Without Their Injuring One Another. The Courses Of The Seasons, And Of The Sun And Moon, Are Pursued Without Any Collision Among Them. The Smaller Energies Are Like River Currents; The Greater Energies Are Seen In Mighty Transformations. It Is This Which Makes Heaven And Earth So Great.

The Nobler Sort Of Man Emphasizes The Good Qualities In Others, And Does Not Accentuate The Bad. The Inferior Does The Reverse. . . . The Nobler Sort Of Man Pays Special Attention To Nine Points. He Is Anxious To See Clearly, To Hear Distinctly, To Be Kindly In His Looks, Respectful In His Demeanor, Conscientious In His Speech, Earnest In His Affairs. When In Doubt, He Is Careful To Inquire; When In Anger, He Thinks Of The Consequences; When Offered An Opportunity For Gain, He Thinks Only Of His Duty.

The Whole End Of Speech Is To Be Understood.

The Superior Man Honors His Virtuous Nature, And Maintains Constant Inquiry And Study, Seeking To Carry It Out To Its Breadth And Greatness, So As To Omit None Of The More Exquisite And Minute Points Which It Embraces, And To Raise It To Its Greatest Height And Brilliancy.

A True Gentleman Makes Demands Upon Himself But Not Upon Others.

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