Wisdom on Moral Character
Book 1, Chapter 16
"The Master said, 'I will not be afflicted at men's not knowing me; I will be afflicted that I do not know men.'"
Book 4, Chapter 11
"The Master said, 'The superior man thinks of virtue; the small man thinks of comfort. The superior man thinks of the sanctions of law; the small man thinks of favors which he may receive.'"
Book 7, Chapter 21
"The Master said, 'When I walk along with two others, they may serve as my teachers. I will select their good qualities and follow them, their bad qualities and avoid them.'"
Book 12, Chapter 1
"Yen Yuan asked about perfect virtue. The Master said, 'To subdue one's self and return to propriety, is perfect virtue. If a man can for one day subdue himself and return to propriety, all under heaven will ascribe perfect virtue to him.'"
Book 13, Chapter 3 (Rectification of Names)
"If names be not correct, language is not in accordance with the truth of things. If language be not in accordance with the truth of things, affairs cannot be carried on to success. Therefore a superior man considers it necessary that the names he uses may be spoken appropriately."
"To see what is right and not to do it is want of courage, or of principle."
— Confucius, The Analects 2:24