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The coming of honor or disgrace must be a reflection of one’s inner power.

Xunzi

Thus, anybody who follows this nature and gives way its states will be led into quarrels and conflicts, and go against the conventions and rules of society, and will end up a criminal.
XUNZI

Anybody Conflicts Convention Follow Give led Nature Quarrel Rule Society State
I once tried thinking for an entire day, but I found it less valuable than one moment of study.
XUNZI

Day Entire Found Less Moment Once Study Think Valuable
You look upon the seasons with expectation and await them: wy not seize the seasonal opportunities and exploit them?
XUNZI

Expectation Look Opportunity Season Seasonal Seize Upon
Pride and excess bring disaster for man.
XUNZI

Bring Disaster Excess Man Pride
Mencius said that human nature is good. I disagree with that.
XUNZI

Disagree Good Human Nature Mencius
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 other, and inclinations to defer or yield will die.
XUNZI

Born Each Other Human Inclination Nature Ove People Profit Snatch Struggle
If the impulse to daring and bravery is too fierce and violent, stay it with guidance and instruction.
XUNZI

Bravery Daring Fierce Guidance Impulsive Instruction Stay Violent
Human nature refers to what is in people but which they cannot study or work at achieving.
XUNZI

Achieve Human Nature People Refer Study Work
In antiquity the sage kings recognized that men’s nature is bad and that their tendencies were not being corrected and their lawlessness controlled.
XUNZI

Antiquity Bad Control Correct Lawlessness Nature Sagem Recognize Tendency
Music is a fantastic peacekeeper of the world, it is integral to harmony, and it is a required fundamental of human emotion.
XUNZI

Emotional Fantasy Fundamental Harmony Human Integrity Music Peacemaker REquired World
They are done merely for ornament. … the common people regard them as supernatural.
XUNZI

Common Done Merely Ornament People Regard Supernatural
Not having heard something is not as good as having heard it; having heard it is not as good as having seen it; having seen it is not as good as knowing it; knowing it is not as good as putting it into practice.
XUNZI

Good Have Having Heard Seen Something
Man’s nature is evil; goodness is the result of conscious activity.
XUNZI

Activity Conscious Goodness Man Nature Result
If the gentleman has ability, he is magnanimous, generous, tolerant, and straightforward, through which he opens the way to instruct others.
XUNZI

Ability Generous Gentlemen Instruct Open Other Straightforward Toearnt Way
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 sees something that is beneficial, he should reflect that sooner or later it, too, could come to involve harm.
XUNZI

Come Desirable Detestable Involve Man Reflect See Something Time
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 the danger to every step of the traveler lies generally with words.
XUNZI

Breath Danger Earth Place Step Transit

The coming of honor or disgrace must be a reflection of one’s inner power.

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The coming of honor or disgrace must be a reflection of one’s inner power.

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