All Xunzi Quotes
- I once tried thinking for an entire day, but I found it less valuable than one moment of study. Day
- Men of all social stations live together: they are equal in their desires, yet vary in their methods; they are equal in their passions, yet… All
- The person attempting to travel two roads at once will get nowhere. Attempting
- A person is born with feelings of envy and hate. If he gives way to them, they will lead him to violence and crime, and… Abandoned
- Music is a fantastic peacekeeper of the world, it is integral to harmony, and it is a required fundamental of human emotion. Emotion
- If the impulse to daring and bravery is too fierce and violent, stay it with guidance and instruction. Bravery
- Human nature is evil, and goodness is caused by intentional activity. Activity
- When people lack teachers, their tendencies are not corrected; when they do not have ritual and moral principles, then their lawlessness is not controlled. Controlled
- If there is no dull and determined effort, there will be no brilliant achievement. Achievement
- Therefore, a person should first be changed by a teacher's instructions, and guided by principles of ritual. Only then can he observe the rules of… Achieve
- If the gentleman has ability, he is magnanimous, generous, tolerant, and straightforward, through which he opens the way to instruct others. Ability
- Whether the gentleman is capable or not, he is loved all the same; conversely the petty man is loathed all the same. All
- The rigid cause themselves to be broken; the pliable cause themselves to be bound. Bound
- If knowledge and foresight are too penetrating and deep, unify them with ease and sincerity. Deep
- Since the nature of people is bad, to become corrected they must be taught by teachers and to be orderly they must acquire ritual and… Acquire
- I once tried standing up on my toes to see far out in the distance, but I found that I could see much farther by… Climbing
- Human nature refers to what is in people but which they cannot study or work at achieving. Achieve
- Human nature is what Heaven supplies. Heaven
- Human nature is such that people are born with a love of profit If they follow these inclinations, they will struggle and snatch from each… Born
- If the blood humor is too strong and robust, calm it with balance and harmony. Balance
- When a man sees something desirable, he must reflect on the fact that with time it could come to involve what is detestable. When he… Beneficial
- Those whose character is mean and vicious will rouse others to animosity against them. Animosity
- If what the heart approves conforms to proper patterns, then even if one's desires are many, what harm would they be to good order? Approves
- Thus, that one can find no place to walk through the breadth of the earth is not because the earth is not tranquil but because… Breadth
- In antiquity the sage kings recognized that men's nature is bad and that their tendencies were not being corrected and their lawlessness controlled. Antiquity