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"A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step" is a common saying that originated from a Chinese proverb. The quotation is from Chapter 64 of the Tao Te Ching ascribed to Laozi, [1] although it is also erroneously ascribed to his contemporary Confucius. [2]
The phrase is an ancient one in Chinese, but sources differ as to when it entered the English vocabulary. Although some sources may claim it dates back as far as 1850 [1], it seems the Chinese phrase was first translated when it was applied to describe the United States. In 1956, Mao Zedong said of the United States:
The 1949 Home Book of Proverbs, Maxims, and Familiar Phrases quotes Barnard as saying he called it "a Chinese proverb, so that people would take it seriously." [ 24 ] An actual Chinese expression, "Hearing something a hundred times isn't better than seeing it once" ( 百闻不如一见 , p bǎi wén bù rú yī jiàn ) is sometimes claimed to ...
Confucius was educated at schools for commoners, where he studied and learned the Six Arts. [21] Confucius was born into the class of shi (士), between the aristocracy and the common people. He is said to have worked in various government jobs during his early 20s, and as a bookkeeper and a caretaker of sheep and horses, using the proceeds to ...
Confucius said that one's understanding of li should inform everything that one says and does (§12.1). He believed that subjecting oneself to li did not mean suppressing one's desires but learning to reconcile them with the needs of one's family and broader community.
Duanmu Ci, a disciple of Confucius, said that Tian had set the master on the path to become a wise man (9.6). In 7.23 Confucius says that he has no doubt left that Tian gave him life, and from it he had developed right virtue . In 8.19, he says that the lives of the sages are interwoven with Tian. [46]
The teaching of Confucius consist of five basic relationships in life: Ruler to subject; Parent to child; Husband to wife; Elder brother to younger brother; Friend to friend; In the above relationships, Confucius teaches that righteous, considerate, kind, benevolent, and gentle treatment should be applied by the former to the latter.
[7] Nonetheless, the proverb soon after became popularly attributed to Confucius. The actual Chinese expression "Hearing something a hundred times isn't better than seeing it once" (百 闻 不 如 一 见, p bǎi wén bù rú yī jiàn) is sometimes introduced as an equivalent, as Watts's "One showing is worth a hundred sayings". [8]