confucius

11 Things: Confucius

Thursday, February 21, 2008

1. On journalism:

"An oppressive government is more to be feared than a tiger."

2. On fame:

"I am not bothered by the fact that I am unknown. I am bothered when I do not know others."

3. On America:

"In a country well governed, poverty is something to be ashamed of. In a country badly governed, wealth is something to be ashamed of."

4. On Muni:

"It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop."

5. On shopping:

"It is easy to hate and it is difficult to love. This is how the whole scheme of things works. All good things are difficult to achieve; and bad things are very easy to get."

6. On the Internet:

"I have never seen one who loves virtue as much as he loves sex."

7. On life:

"If we don't know life, how can we know death?"

8. On war:

"Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves."

9. On travel:

"And remember, no matter where you go, there you are."

10. On knowledge:

"To know is to know that you know nothing. That is the meaning of true knowledge."

11. On this column:

"Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance."

- Tim Sullivan, tsullivan@sfchronicle.com

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/02/21/NSOKV3OG8.DTL

This article appeared on page G - 3 of the San Francisco Chronicle