Business Quote by Confucius
“If doing what ought to be done be made the first business and success a secondary consideration--is not this the way to exalt virtue?”
About This Quote
Source Analects: Book 12, 5th century BC
Prioritizing moral duty over profit elevates virtue above material gain.
In simple terms: Duty before profit.
Key Takeaway
Put virtue first.
Themes
ethics
virtue
business
priorities
Mood
thoughtful
serious
Type
philosophical
ethical
When to use this quote
- entrepreneurship
- public service
- personal decisions
Key Concepts
moral philosophy
leadership
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you balance duty and success?
- What sacrifices are worth making?
A Different Perspective
Profit pressures can dominate choices.
![“[S]ometimes, when you are a food person, the possible irrelevance of what you are doing doesn’t cross your mind until it’s too late. (Once, for example, when I was just starting out in the food business, I was hired by the caper people to develop a lot of recipes using capers, and it was weeks of…” quote by Nora Ephron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/d79/nora-ephron-1217_business_s-ometimes-when-you-are-a-food-person-th_980.jpg)
![“If the State does not acquire supremacy over [vast private] enterprises, it becomes their puppet, and they become the real State.” quote by Bertrand Russell](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/img-quotes/bad/bertrand-russell-69_acquire_if-the-state-does-not-acquire-supremacy_1379.jpg)