Speak the truth, do not yield to anger; give, if thou art asked for little; by these three steps thou wilt go near the gods.
ConfuciusRead
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.
Interpretation
Knowledge is not inherent; it is gained through a love for history and diligent pursuit.
This quote by Confucius emphasizes that knowledge is not simply a natural possession but a result of an earnest passion for understanding ancient wisdom and historical context. It highlights the importance of actively seeking out knowledge, suggesting that a deep appreciation for the past can lead to greater awareness and insight in the present.
In practice
In a lecture about the importance of historical context in understanding modern issues.
Speak the truth, do not yield to anger; give, if thou art asked for little; by these three steps thou wilt go near the gods.
Earnest in practicing the ordinary virtues, and careful in speaking about them, if, in his practice, he has anything defective, the superior man dares not but exert himself; and if, in his words, he has any excess, he dares not allow himself such license.
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.
Never give a sword to a man who can't dance.
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.
Success depends upon previous preparation, and without such preparation there is sure to be failure.
We learn best to listen to our own voices if we are listening at the same time to other women-whose stories, for all our differences, turn out, if we listen well, to be our stories also.
When you reach my age, you realize you couldn't have done things very much better or much worse than you did them in the first place.
It 's wiser being good than bad; It 's safer being meek than fierce; It 's fitter being sane than mad. My own hope is, a sun will pierce The thickest cloud earth ever stretched; That after Last returns the First, Though a wide compass round be fetched.
Any critic is entitled to wrong judgments, of course. But certain lapses of judgment indicate the radical failure of an entire sensibility.
Never let your zeal outrun your charity. The former is but human, the latter is divine.
One thing I struggled with early in my career was the delicate balance between my performance and my identity. When things on the field went well, I was cheerful and felt important. When things went poorly, my countenance and self-concept plummeted, and I was not pleasant to be around.
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