Self-control seldom leads astray.

[以約、失之者鮮矣。]

Confucius (c. 551- c. 479 BC) Chinese philosopher, sage, politician [孔夫子 (Kǒng Fūzǐ, K'ung Fu-tzu, K'ung Fu Tse), 孔子 (Kǒngzǐ, Chungni), 孔丘 (Kǒng Qiū, K'ung Ch'iu)]

The Analects [論語, 论语, Lúnyǔ], Book 4, verse 23 (4.23) (6th C. BC – AD 3rd C.) [tr. Leys (1997)]
    (Source)

(Source (Chinese)). Alternate translations:

The cautious seldom err.
[tr. Legge (1861)]

Those who keep within restraints are seldom losers.
[tr. Jennings (1895)]

He who wants little seldom goes wrong.
[tr. Ku Hung-Ming (1898); alternate: "He who confines his sphere ..."]

The self-restrained seldom err.
[tr. Soothill (1910)]

Self-restraint avoids error.
[tr. Soothill (1910), alternate]

Those who have gone astray through self-restraint are few.
[tr. Soothill (1910), alternate]

Those who consume their own smoke seldom get lost. The concise seldom err.
[tr. Pound (1933)]

Those who err on the side of strictness are few indeed!
[tr. Waley (1938)]

When strict with oneself one rarely fails.
[tr. Ware (1950)]

It is rare for a man to miss the mark through holding on to essentials.
[tr. Lau (1979)]

There are few indeed who fail in something through exercising restraint.
[tr. Dawson (1993)]

Those who err through self-restraint are rare indeed.
[tr. Huang (1997)]

The persons who lose because of restraining themselves, are few.
[tr. Cai/Yu (1998), #89]

It is rare indeed for someone to go wrong due to personal restraint. [tr. Ames/Rosemont (1998)]

Those who err on the side of strictness are few.
[tr. Brooks/Brooks (1998)]

To lose by caution is rare indeed.
[tr. Hinton (1998)]

Very few go astray who comport themselves with restraint.
[tr. Slingerland (2003)]

Those who go wrong by holding back are few.
[tr. Watson (2007)]

Few are those who make mistakes by knowing to hold back.
[tr. Annping Chin (2014)]

If you practice self-control according to the rules of Li, you will make fewer mistakes.
[tr. Li (2020)]