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Confucius quotes on humility

2 verified English passages where Confucius’ thought meets questions of humility.

Confucius on humility

Confucius (551–479 BCE) approaches humility within Confucianism. He centered humane concern (ren), ritual propriety (li), moral example, and lifelong learning; rulers should govern by virtue rather than fear. Systematically, the teaching links ritual, ethics, education, government into a practical and theoretical whole. On this page, the archive isolates English passages where that project meets humility most directly—useful for searches such as “confucius quotes on humility.”

How to use this page

Start with the shortest passage, then compare tone across sources. Return to the Confucius thinker page for biography and to the humility theme for other voices on the same question.

Frequently asked

What did Confucius say about humility?

The quotations below are the archive’s curated answer: English renderings selected for clarity and attribution, not a complete corpus.

Where else should I read after confucius on humility?

Related themes: Philosophy , Self , Knowledge , Freedom , Life , Wisdom .

  1. The Master said: You, shall I teach you what knowing is? To know what you know, and to know what you do not know — that is true knowing.
    Q0136
    Analects, Wei Zheng
  2. The Master said: When three people walk together, one of them is sure to be my teacher. I select what is good in them and follow it; what is not good, I correct in myself.