孔子早年丧父，家境衰落。他曾说过：“吾少也贱，故多能鄙事。”年轻时曾做过“委吏”（管理仓廪）与“乘田”（管放牧牛羊）。虽然生活贫苦，孔子十五岁即“志于学”。他善于取法他人，曾说：“三人行，必有吾师焉。择其善者而从之，其不善者而改之。”（《论语·述而》）他学无常师，好学不厌，乡人也赞他“博学”。

Confucius lost his father in his young age; the family was in deterioration. He said, ‘ I was in the  low and poor level, therefore I could do a lot of worthless jobs’. When he was young he worked as a warehouse keeper (委吏) and as a cattle keeper (乘田). Although living under such poor situation, Confucius ‘determined to study’ since at the age of 15. He was good to adopt the good examples of others.  He said ‘ Even though there are only three persons, I can still find a teacher there; I practice their good points and repent the bad from them.’    He did not study under the same teacher continuously; he was tirelessly to learn.  People respected his all around knowledge.  
 
 孔子“三十而立”，并开始授徒讲学。凡带上一点“束修”的，都收为学生。如颜路、曾点、子路、伯牛、冉有、子贡、颜渊等，是较早的一批弟子。连鲁大夫孟僖子其子孟懿子和南宫敬叔来学礼，可见孔子办学已名闻遐迩。私学的创设，打破了“学在官府”的传统，进一步促进了学术文化的下移。
 
Confucius was intellectually matured at the age 30, and started his teaching profession.  Even a small gift such as ten sticks of dried meat, he would accept that person as his student.  People like Yan Lo, Jang Dim, Ji Lo, Baak Ngau, Yim Yau, Ji Gong and Yan Yuen etc (颜路,曾点,子路,伯牛,冉有,子贡,颜渊), were his students during the early stage.  However, Meng Yi Ji and Nan Gong Ging Suk (孟懿子, 南宫敬叔), sons of Meng Hei Ji (孟僖子) the high-ranking officer of  Lo, were learning rituals from him too.  From this, we know he was also well known in the high society. He started the private school teaching system, a break through from the traditional ‘education for nobles only ’.  This is an additional step lowering the social economic status to be educated.