Confucius The Teacher O.G. Tee | THE TOP G

The best teachers never stop being students.

Confucius (551–479 BC) lived in the state of Lu, in present-day Shandong, China, in an age of war and broken order. His answer wasn’t an army. It was education. Tradition says some three thousand students learned from him, and his followers gathered his teachings into the Analects, one of the most influential books ever written.

It opens with a question: “Is it not pleasant to learn with a constant perseverance and application?” He meant it for everyone. “In teaching there should be no distinction of classes,” he said. All he asked in return was effort.

“The superior man is modest in his speech, but exceeds in his actions.” comes from Book 14 of the Analects, in James Legge’s classic translation. It’s the teacher’s rule, too: nobody learns from a lesson the teacher doesn’t live. Keep learning, share what you know, and let your example do the teaching.

The Teacher sits at the center of a swirl of flying scrolls, bamboo slips, and golden ink, with cranes and glowing lanterns around him.

• Bella+Canvas 3001 unisex tee
• Soft Airlume combed and ring-spun cotton
• Black Heather is a cotton and poly blend (90/10)
• Printed on demand with DTG (direct-to-garment)
• Part of THE TOP G O.G. collection

Size guide