It all flows on like this river, never stopping, day or night.
Confucius, Analects 9.16
What it means
Standing by a river, Confucius saw time itself: always moving, never pausing. Nothing you have stays still, including you. Use the current instead of pretending it isn't there.
The source
"It all flows on like this river, never stopping, day or night." Confucius said it in Analects 9.16. Translated from the original Chinese by Spartan Surfers.
"逝者如斯夫 ... 不舍晝夜。"Original Chinese, Analects 9.16. Text read at zh.wikisource.org.
Who said it
Confucius (551-479 BC). Teacher from the state of Lu whose conversations, collected by his students as the Analects, shaped two thousand years of Chinese ethics. He taught that character is built through learning, ritual and honest self-examination.
Questions
- What does "It all flows on like this river, never stopping, day or night." mean?
- Standing by a river, Confucius saw time itself: always moving, never pausing. Nothing you have stays still, including you. Use the current instead of pretending it isn't there.
- Who said "It all flows on like this river, never stopping, day or night."?
- Confucius (551-479 BC). Source: Analects 9.16.
- What is the original Chinese?
- 逝者如斯夫 ... 不舍晝夜。. Translated from the original Chinese by Spartan Surfers.
- Is "It all flows on like this river, never stopping, day or night." on a shirt?
- Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.
Cite this line
"It all flows on like this river, never stopping, day or night." (Confucius, Analects 9.16, translated by Spartan Surfers). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/it-all-flows-on-like-this-river-never
Filed under Quotes about time.
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More from Confucius
- Know what you know. Admit what you don't. That is knowing.Analects 2.17
- Learning without thinking is lost. Thinking without learning is dangerous.Analects 2.15
- To see what's right and not do it is a lack of courage.Analects 2.24
- Hear the Way in the morning and you could die content that night.Analects 4.8
- See someone better, aim to match them. See someone worse, look inward.Analects 4.17
- Slow to speak. Quick to act.Analects 4.24