Classic inspirational quotes from ancient Chinese

1. If you don’t fly, you will soar into the sky; if you don’t sing, you will become famous in one fell swoop. ——Sima Qian

2. There is no intention to stay or go, just watch the flowers blooming and falling in front of the court; unfazed by favors and humiliations, just follow the clouds rolling in the sky. ——"The Notes of You Chuang"

3. Without indifference, one cannot achieve clear aspirations, and without tranquility, one cannot achieve far-reaching goals. ——Zhuge Liang

4. There will be times when the wind blows and the waves break, so you can hang your sails and sail across the sea. ——Li Bai

5. Using copper as a mirror, you can straighten your clothes; using ancient times as a mirror, you can know the ups and downs; using people as a mirror, you can understand gains and losses. ——"Old Book of Tang·Biography of Wei Zheng"

6. If you are poor, you can be good for yourself; if you are rich, you can be good for the world. ——"Mencius"

7. Those who accomplished great things in ancient times not only had extraordinary talents, but also had perseverance. ——Su Shi

8. Scholars must be ambitious and have a long way to go. Isn’t it important to consider benevolence as one’s own responsibility? Isn't it just a matter of time before death? ——"The Analects of Confucius"

9. The supreme leader has established virtues, followed by meritorious services, and the third has established words. Even if they are not abolished for a long time, this is called immortality. ——"Zuo Zhuan"

10. Eat sparingly, drink water, bend your arms and rest on your head, and enjoy it. Being rich and noble without justice is like a floating cloud to me. ——"The Analects of Confucius"

11. A hero is one who has great ambitions, has good strategies in his belly, has the opportunity to contain the universe, and can swallow the aspirations of heaven and earth. ——"Romance of the Three Kingdoms"

12. When you are old and strong, you would rather move your heart with a white head; when you are poor and strong, you will not fall into the clouds. ——Wang Bo of the Tang Dynasty

13. Those who enjoy the happiness of the people will also enjoy the happiness of the people; those who care about the worries of the people will also worry about the worries of the people. ——"Mencius, King Hui of Liang"

14. Do not do evil because it is small, and do not do good because it is small. ——Liu Bei

15. Learning but not knowing is the same as not learning; knowing but not being able to do it is the same as not knowing. ——Huang Jing

16. Treat the home as the home, the township as the township, the country as the country, and the world as the world. ——"Guanzi·Herdsman"

17. Those who are not strong in ambition are not wise, and those who do not believe in their words will not achieve results. ——Mo Zhai

18. My heart is like a magnetic needle, and it will not rest until it points to the other side. ——Wen Tianxiang

19. I examine myself three times a day. Are you being disloyal to others? Make friends but don’t believe it? Are you not used to it? ——"The Analects of Confucius"

20. If everyone loves public affairs, the world will be peaceful; if everyone is selfish, the world will be in chaos. ——Liu E

21. Be broad-minded and make appointments; ——Su Shi

22. When hundreds of rivers reach the sea from the east, when will they return to the west? If a young man does not try his best, the old man will be sad. ——Han Yuefu's "Long Song Xing"

23. A gentleman is concerned about the road but not about poverty. ——Confucius

24. When Heaven is about to entrust a great responsibility to this person, he must first strain his mind, strain his muscles and bones, starve his body and skin, deplete his body, and mess up his actions. ——"Mencius Gaozi Xia"

25. Worry about the world's worries first, and rejoice after the world's happiness. ——Fan Zhongyan

26. Establish a mind for the heaven and earth, establish a destiny for the people, carry forward the unique knowledge for the saints, and create peace for all generations. ---Zhang Zai

27. I don’t know how old I am when I am young, and poverty and lowliness are like floating clouds to me. ——Du Fu

28. When the sky moves vigorously, a gentleman will strive for self-improvement. The terrain is kun, and a gentleman carries things with kindness. ——"Book of Changes"

29. Learn it extensively, interrogate it, think carefully, discern it clearly, and practice it diligently. ——"Book of Rites"

30. To learn a hundred things, one must first be determined. ——Zhu Xi///

31. The sea accepts hundreds of rivers, and it is great to have tolerance; it stands thousands of feet high on the wall, and it is strong to have no desires. ——Lin Zexu

32. If his body is upright, he will not do what he is told; if his body is not upright, he will not do what he is told. ——"The Analects of Confucius"

33. Confucius said: "The wise will not be confused, the benevolent will not worry, the brave will not be afraid." - "Zihan"

34. Being eager to learn is close to knowing. Acting hard is close to benevolence, knowing shame is close to courage. ——"The Doctrine of the Mean"

35. Play a thousand tunes and then the sound will dawn; watch a thousand swords and then recognize the weapon. ——Liu Xie, Don’t worry about others but you don’t know yourself, and you don’t know others when you are worried.

——Confucius