Column Chronicles: Grandson of Confucius

Grandson of Confucius

Frank Cotolo
February 23, 2023

The bloodline of Confucius, the famous Chinese philosopher, continued to spew words of wisdom in the his tradition. Though not always as successful as his grandfather, the son of the son of Confucius wrote a lot and recently some of his sayings were collected for a book. Here are some:

You should not trust a friend who betrays your wish to stay away from his wife.

Brotherhood does not give anyone the right to burn another person's rickshaw.

Seek the farthest place to go by foot for those times when your loved ones dislike you most.

I know what I read. I enjoy what I know. I read what I enjoy. Yet I know not why I enjoy what I read or enjoy what I know.

The fastest anything beats the slower one.

Better the dirt you reject than the dirt you must ingest.

Are we ever too distant that we cannot return?

When you work, do the best you can. When you play, screw up all you want.

When love is perilous seek higher ground.

Better the butter that is best than the butter that is bitter.

Fake knowledge is notthing to know. It is fake.

Those with less should not acquire more if more is too heavy to carry places.

Love is not passion or picayune. Love is partial and pensive. Love is peculiar but not when it is passionate. And partial love is not plentiful. Peruse love.

In a life well lived there are many days and nights. In a sour life lived with crime the sun never sets.

Who goes there if not the one going?

Love is the only poem that does not rhyme.

It is within the power of a person to speak the truth no matter the size of the hammer threatening his or her skulls.

A youth at home need not be filled with knowledge. A youth abroad should cultivate knowledge and hold it to spread it and use it for the good of mankind. When a youth cultivates and spreads knowledge he will no longer be a youth and maturity will pronounce his wisdom for saving the knowledge he cultivated and mankind will remember that it was good the youth who became mature left the house in the first place.

Frank Cotolo can be found hosting the talk and interview programme Cotolo Chronicles. You can send him an e-mail at this address: frank@148.ca.