Several passages from the Analects have become touchstones for anyone exploring Confucian thought:

• Analects 1.1 (“Learning and Practice”)
“Is it not a pleasure, having learned something, to try it out at due intervals?”
Celebrates the joy of lifelong learning and the fusion of theory with action—a mantra still echoed in today’s “learn-by-doing” startup culture.

• Analects 2.4 (“Benevolence at Hand”)
“The Master said, ‘Is benevolence really far away? No sooner do I desire it than it is here.’”
A nod to the idea that moral goodness isn’t some distant ideal but a choice available in every moment—rather like modern mindfulness reminding people that kindness starts within.

• Analects 4.15 (“Beginner’s Mind”)
“Learn as if you were not yet proficient; teach as if you were not yet tired of learning.”
Feeds right into that “growth mindset” craze, underlining humility and curiosity instead of resting on one’s laurels.

• Analects 12.17 (“Rectification of Names”)
“If names be not correct, language will not be in accordance with the truth of things.”
A warning that clear definitions and honest labels are the bedrock of good governance—fresh as ever in an age of “fake news” and social-media spin.

• Analects 2.11 (“Words and Deeds”)
“The gentleman is ashamed to let his words outrun his deeds.”
A classic antidote to hollow rhetoric, championing integrity over empty promises—something CEOs and politicians would do well to tattoo on their foreheads.

• Analects 6.28 (“Instant Benevolence”)
“The Master said, ‘When virtuous conduct is desired, it comes swiftly.’”
Highlights the immediacy of moral choice, as if to say: compassion isn’t a distant summit but the ground under one’s feet.

Across centuries—and into boardrooms, classrooms, even social-media platforms—the Analects keeps flexing its influence. Whether sparking a viral #VirtueChallenge or underpinning leadership seminars in Singapore and Silicon Valley, these snippets still pack a moral punch. After all, timeless wisdom tends to age like fine tea.