Confucius, Analects 4.24
What it means
The person worth following talks less and does more. Promises are cheap and finished work is not. Let your actions arrive before your announcements.
The source
"Slow to speak. Quick to act." Confucius said it in Analects 4.24. Translated from the original Chinese by Spartan Surfers.
"君子欲訥於言而敏於行。"Original Chinese, Analects 4.24. 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 "Slow to speak. Quick to act." mean?
- The person worth following talks less and does more. Promises are cheap and finished work is not. Let your actions arrive before your announcements.
- Who said "Slow to speak. Quick to act."?
- Confucius (551-479 BC). Source: Analects 4.24.
- What is the original Chinese?
- 君子欲訥於言而敏於行。. Translated from the original Chinese by Spartan Surfers.
- Is "Slow to speak. Quick to act." 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
"Slow to speak. Quick to act." (Confucius, Analects 4.24, translated by Spartan Surfers). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/slow-to-speak-quick-to-act
Filed under Short, powerful quotes.
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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
- Virtue is never alone. It always has neighbors.Analects 4.25