Skip to content
The ConsciousLibrary

Attributed to Confucius

«Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall.»

Misattributed

Verdict

It is not in Confucius's work

No literal correspondence in the Analects. The phrase derives from Oliver Goldsmith (The Vicar of Wakefield, 1766: "our greatest glory consists not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall"). The closest in Confucius is 15.30 on correcting faults.

Source: Csikszentmihalyi, Mark. «Confucius». The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (ed. Edward N. Zalta).

What they did say

Verified words of Confucius

  • «Is it not pleasant to learn with a constant perseverance and application? Is it not delightful to have friends coming from distant quarters?»

    Analectas 1.1 (trad. inglesa de Legge, 1861)

  • «At fifteen, I had my mind bent on learning. At thirty, I stood firm. At forty, I had no doubts. At fifty, I knew the decrees of Heaven. At sixty, my ear was an obedient organ for the reception of truth. At seventy, I could follow what my heart desired, without transgressing what was right.»

    Analectas 2.4

  • «If a man keeps cherishing his old knowledge, so as continually to be acquiring new, he may be a teacher of others.»

    Analectas 2.11

All verified quotes