Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
"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:
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 ...
[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]
Now, if you're into Confucianism or if you know you're Confucius, then perhaps you will remember this famous quote. I think he was born in 551 BCE. He lived something like 50 years or so.
Confucius judged a good ruler by his possession of de ('virtue'): a sort of moral force that allows those in power to rule and gain the loyalty of others without the need for physical coercion (§2.1). Confucius said that one of the most important ways that a ruler cultivates his sense of de is through a devotion to the correct practices of li.
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 ...
Ren (Chinese: 仁, meaning "co-humanity" or "humaneness") is a Confucian virtue meaning the good quality of a virtuous human when reaching for higher ideals or when being altruistic. Ren is exemplified by functional, instinctual, parental feelings and intentions of encouragement and protection for their children.