Confucius

"The Master said, “If your conduct is determined solely by considerations of profit you will arouse great resentment."

"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)"

"Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without."

"The gentleman does not promote people merely on the basis of their words, nor does he reject words merely because of the person who uttered them."

"For this reason the gentleman will employ a man on a distant mission and observe his degree of loyalty, will employ him close at hand and observe his degree of respect. He will hand him troublesome affairs and observe how well he manages them, will suddenly ask his advice and observe how wisely he answers. He will exact some difficult promise from him and see how well he keeps it, turn over funds to him and see with what benevolence he dispenses them, inform him of the danger he is in and note how faithful he is to his duties. He will get him drunk with wine and observe how well he handles himself, place him in mixed company and see what effect beauty has upon him. By applying these nine tests, you may determine who is the unworthy man."

"He who searches for evil, must first look at his own reflection."

"To be wronged is nothing, unless you continue to remember it."

"It is more shameful to distrust our friends than to be deceived by them."

"At fifteen I set my heart upon learning. At thirty, I had planted my feet firm upon the ground. At forty, I no longer suffered from perplexities. At fifty, I knew what were the biddings of Heaven. At sixty, I heard them with docile ear. At seventy, I could follow the dictates of my own heart; for what I desired no longer overstepped the boundaries of right."

"Writing cannot express all words, words cannot encompass all ideas."

"Without knowing the force of words, it is impossible to know more."

"There is nothing more real than what cannot be seen and there is nothing more certain than what cannot be heard."

"To rank the effort above the prize may be called love."

"The more man meditates upon good thoughts, the better will be his world and the world at large."

"Words are the voice of the heart."

"The gentleman understands what is moral. The small man understands what is profitable."

"If one should desire to know whether a kingdom is well governed, if its morals are good or bad, the quality of its music will furnish the answer."

"If there is righteousness in the heart, there will be beauty in the character. If there is beauty in the character, there will be harmony in the home. If there is harmony in the home, there will be order in the nations. When there is order in the nations, there will peace in the world."

"Think of tomorrow, the past can't be mended."

"Study the past if you would define the future."