About Confucius
551 BC – 479 BC
Ancient Chinese philosopher and teacher whose teachings on ethics, family, and governance shaped East Asian thought for millennia. His Analects remain widely studied today.
See all 39 Confucius quotes →More from Confucius
Attribution note: Source disputed or unverified.
“The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.”
Attribution note: Source disputed or unverified.
“It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop.”
Attribution note: Source disputed or unverified.
“The man who asks a question is a fool for a minute, the man who does not ask is a fool for life.”
Related quotes
“The wisest man may be wiser to-day than he was yesterday, and to-morrow than he is to-day.”
“Give thyself time to learn something new and good, and cease to be whirled around.”
“For the things we have to learn before we can do, we learn by doing.”
“It was subtle of God to learn Greek when he wished to become an author—and not to learn it better.”