--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: It is the obligation of the ruler to…" description: "\"It is the obligation of the ruler to continually renew himself in order to renew the people by his example.\" — Confucius" image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ceb/confucius-164_example_it-is-the-obligation-of-the-ruler-to-con_1048475.jpg" --- # It is the obligation of the ruler to continually renew… ![“It is the obligation of the ruler to continually renew himself in order to renew the people by his example.” quote by Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ceb/confucius-164_example_it-is-the-obligation-of-the-ruler-to-con_1048475.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ceb/confucius-164_example_it-is-the-obligation-of-the-ruler-to-con_1048475.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ceb/confucius-164_example_it-is-the-obligation-of-the-ruler-to-con_1048475.jpg) > “It is the obligation of the ruler to continually renew himself in order to renew the people by his example.” [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. A ruler must constantly improve himself, setting a moral example that inspires societal renewal. **In simple terms:** Leaders should keep growing to lift others. Key Takeaway Lead by continual self‑improvement. Themes leadership ethics self‑improvement Mood respectful inspirational thoughtful Type advice philosophical motivational When to use this quote - political office - corporate management - community activism - education leadership Key Concepts Confucianism role modeling virtue Questions to Reflect On - How can you model growth for those you lead? - What habits keep a leader evolving? A Different Perspective If a leader fails to change, the people may lose trust and stagnate. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Leadership](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/leadership/) [Obligation](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/obligation/) [Order](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/order/) [People](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/people/) [Rulers](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/rulers/) ## Related quotes > [A country of a thousand war-chariots cannot be administered unless the ruler attends strictly to business, punctually observes his promises, is economical in expenditure,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/a-country-of-a-thousand-war-chariots-cannot-be-administered-unless/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Let a ruler base his government upon virtuous principles, and he will be like the pole-star, which remains steadfast in its place, while all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/let-a-ruler-base-his-government-upon-virtuous-principles-and-he-will/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [The administration of government lies in getting proper men. Such men are to be got by means of the ruler's own character. That character…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/the-administration-of-government-lies-in-getting-proper-men-such-men/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [The requisites of government are that there be sufficiency of food, sufficiency of military equipment, and the confidence of the people in their ruler.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/the-requisites-of-government-are-that-there-be-sufficiency-of-food/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [“Renew each other with love, understanding, and sustenance”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-hathaway/renew-each-other-with-love-understanding-and-sustenance/) Mark Hathaway > [“Complacency happens almost without notice. Check and renew your heart daily.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jim-george/complacency-happens-almost-without-notice-check-and-renew-your-heart/) [Jim George](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jim-george/) > [Renew thyself completely each day.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/henry-david-thoreau/renew-thyself-completely-each-day/) [Henry David Thoreau](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/henry-david-thoreau/) > [If you've lost focus, just sit down and be still. Take the idea and rock it to and fro. Keep some of it and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clarissa-pinkola-estes/if-you-ve-lost-focus-just-sit-down-and-be-still-take-the-idea-and/) [Clarissa Pinkola Estes](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clarissa-pinkola-estes/) > [I think he will probably come round in time, I mean to renew the subject pretty often.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-garrett-anderson/i-think-he-will-probably-come-round-in-time-i-mean-to-renew-the/) [Elizabeth Garrett Anderson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-garrett-anderson/) > [It's time to renew our commitment to the world around us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/christopher-dodd/it-s-time-to-renew-our-commitment-to-the-world-around-us/) [Christopher Dodd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/christopher-dodd/) > [Inside myself is aplace where I live all alone and that's where you renew your springs that never dry up.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/inside-myself-is-aplace-where-i-live-all-alone-and-that-s-where-you/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) > [“Redesign, renew, and recharge your brand.” Decide what value you bring to others and give it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/susan-c-young/redesign-renew-and-recharge-your-brand-decide-what-value-you-bring-to/) [Susan C. Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/susan-c-young/) > [“To read is to renew thy mind.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/lailah-gifty-akita/to-read-is-to-renew-thy-mind/) [Lailah Gifty Akita](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/lailah-gifty-akita/) > [I worked in three local news markets and in every single one of them, they said: 'You're a lousy anchor. We would love to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/elizabeth-vargas/i-worked-in-three-local-news-markets-and-in-every-single-one-of-them/) [Elizabeth Vargas](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/elizabeth-vargas/) > [When you need to renew your contract, you must demonstrate why they are renewing your contract.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/manuel-pellegrini/when-you-need-to-renew-your-contract-you-must-demonstrate-why-they/) [Manuel Pellegrini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/manuel-pellegrini/) ## More by Confucius > [Attack the evil that is within yourself, rather than attacking the evil that is in others.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/attack-the-evil-that-is-within-yourself-rather-than-attacking-the/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [The superior man is distressed by his want (lack) of ability](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/the-superior-man-is-distressed-by-his-want-lack-of-ability/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [In ancient times, those who wished to illuminate the world with virtue first brought order to their nations. Wishing to order well their nations,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/in-ancient-times-those-who-wished-to-illuminate-the-world-with-virtue/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Better than the one who knows what is right is the one who loves what is right.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/better-than-the-one-who-knows-what-is-right-is-the-one-who-loves-what/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Knowledge is merely brilliance in organization of ideas and not wisdom. The truly wise person goes beyond knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/knowledge-is-merely-brilliance-in-organization-of-ideas-and-not/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [I live in a very small house, but my windows look out on a very large world.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/i-live-in-a-very-small-house-but-my-windows-look-out-on-a-very-large/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [To rule a country of a thousand chariots, there must be reverent attention to business, and sincerity; economy in expenditure, and love for men;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/to-rule-a-country-of-a-thousand-chariots-there-must-be-reverent/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [The real fault is to have faults and not amend them.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/the-real-fault-is-to-have-faults-and-not-amend-them/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [To know what you know and what you do not know, that is true knowledge.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/to-know-what-you-know-and-what-you-do-not-know-that-is-true-knowledge/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [A picture is poem without words.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/a-picture-is-poem-without-words/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Heaven means to be one with God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/heaven-means-to-be-one-with-god/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Does Heaven ever speak? The four seasons come and go, and all creatures thrive and grow. Does Heaven ever speak!](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/does-heaven-ever-speak-the-four-seasons-come-and-go-and-all-creatures/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [To study and at times practice what one has learned, is this not a pleasure?](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/to-study-and-at-times-practice-what-one-has-learned-is-this-not-a/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [Recompense injury with justice, and recompense kindness with kindness.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/recompense-injury-with-justice-and-recompense-kindness-with-kindness/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) > [There is only one thing in life which never changes, and it is change.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/there-is-only-one-thing-in-life-which-never-changes-and-it-is-change/) [Confucius](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) [Explore all 1,019 Confucius quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/) ## More Example quotes > [I love playing for my country, getting the support. Especially for the kids and everybody, showing my example of what I can achieve so…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/maria-sharapova/i-love-playing-for-my-country-getting-the-support-especially-for-the/) [Maria Sharapova](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/maria-sharapova/) > [It's like the query letter problem that I just mentioned, magnified a hundredfold. You might be good at telling a story, but that doesn't…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/patrick-rothfuss/it-s-like-the-query-letter-problem-that-i-just-mentioned-magnified-a/) [Patrick Rothfuss](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/patrick-rothfuss/) > [I think leading by example is important, as I know the next generation is watching us.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/michael-skolnik/i-think-leading-by-example-is-important-as-i-know-the-next-generation/) [Michael Skolnik](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/michael-skolnik/) > [Can you imagine any better example of divine creative accomplishment that the consummate flying machine that is a bird? The skeleton, very flexible and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/guy-murchie/can-you-imagine-any-better-example-of-divine-creative-accomplishment/) [Guy Murchie](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/guy-murchie/) > [Men trust rather to their eyes than to their ears; the effect of precepts is therefore slow and tedious, whilst that of examples is…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/seneca-the-younger/men-trust-rather-to-their-eyes-than-to-their-ears-the-effect-of/) [Seneca the Younger](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/seneca-the-younger/) > [Popular culture as a whole is popular, but in today's fragmented market it's a jostle of competing unpopular popular cultures. As the critic Stanley…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mark-steyn/popular-culture-as-a-whole-is-popular-but-in-today-s-fragmented/) [Mark Steyn](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mark-steyn/) > [You can have examples of reasons to hate people, but if you analyze those reasons it's like, Oh, I'm hating that person based on…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charlyne-yi/you-can-have-examples-of-reasons-to-hate-people-but-if-you-analyze/) [Charlyne Yi](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charlyne-yi/) > [The protestant world is in great need of examples (like these) that will beckon us to the fullness of God.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mike-bickle/the-protestant-world-is-in-great-need-of-examples-like-these-that/) [Mike Bickle](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mike-bickle/) > [If it comes to a question of law, the charges they brought against me - the Espionage Act - is called the quintessential political…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/edward-snowden/if-it-comes-to-a-question-of-law-the-charges-they-brought-against-me/) [Edward Snowden](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/edward-snowden/) > [I'm not the most vocal guy, but I try to lead by example every single day with how I work.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brandon-ingram/i-m-not-the-most-vocal-guy-but-i-try-to-lead-by-example-every-single/) [Brandon Ingram](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brandon-ingram/) > [But actually theory is very practical. Gravity is a theory, for example. It allows you to predict that if you step off a cliff…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/clayton-christensen/but-actually-theory-is-very-practical-gravity-is-a-theory-for-example/) [Clayton Christensen](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/clayton-christensen/) > [I had the best example set by my parents for what a couple can - and, in my opinion, should - be.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/brett-young/i-had-the-best-example-set-by-my-parents-for-what-a-couple-can-and-in/) [Brett Young](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/brett-young/) > [Once an activity has been socialized, it is impossible to point out, by concrete example, how men in a free market could better conduct…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/leonard-read/once-an-activity-has-been-socialized-it-is-impossible-to-point-out-by/) [Leonard Read](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/leonard-read/) > [I don't join the New Atheists. So, for example, I wouldn't have the arrogance to lecture some mother who hopes to see her dying…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/noam-chomsky/i-don-t-join-the-new-atheists-so-for-example-i-wouldn-t-have-the/) [Noam Chomsky](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/noam-chomsky/) > [America's freedom is the example to which the world expires.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/george-h-w-bush/america-s-freedom-is-the-example-to-which-the-world-expires/) [George H. W. Bush](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/george-h-w-bush/) Browse all 5,618 Example quotes ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "It is the obligation of the ruler to continually renew himself in order to renew the people by his example.", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Confucius" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/it-is-the-obligation-of-the-ruler-to-continually-renew-himself-in/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Example" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/it-is-the-obligation-of-the-ruler-to-continually-renew-himself-in/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ceb/confucius-164_example_it-is-the-obligation-of-the-ruler-to-con_1048475.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ceb/confucius-164_example_it-is-the-obligation-of-the-ruler-to-con_1048475.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/ceb/confucius-164_example_it-is-the-obligation-of-the-ruler-to-con_1048475.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“It is the obligation of the ruler to continually renew himself in order to renew the people by his example.” — Confucius", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Confucius", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/confucius/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "It is the obligation of the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/it-is-the-obligation-of-the-ruler-to-continually-renew-himself-in/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/confucius/it-is-the-obligation-of-the-ruler-to-continually-renew-himself-in/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```