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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

If knowledge and foresight are too penetrating and deep, unify them with ease and sincerity.
XUNZI

Deep Ease Foresight Knowledge Penetrate Sincerity
Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.
XUNZI

Forget Involve Remember Teach Tell
If the blood humor is too strong and robust, calm it with balance and harmony.
XUNZI

Balance Blood Calm Harmony Humor Robust Strong
The noble person uses things; the lesser man is used by things.
XUNZI

Lesser Man Nobel Person Thing Use
Human nature is evil, and goodness is caused by intentional activity.
XUNZI

Cause Goodness Human Intentional Moment Nature Study
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 courtesy and humility, obey the conventions and rules of society, and achieve order.
XUNZI

Change Gude Instruction Person Ritual Teacher
Sacrifices are concerned with the feelings of devotion and longing.
XUNZI

Concern Devotion Feel Longing Sacrifice
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 moral principles.
XUNZI

Acquire Become Correct Moral Must Taught Nature Orderly People Principle Since Teacher
The coming of honor or disgrace must be a reflection of one’s inner power.
XUNZI

Coming Disgrace Honor Inner Must One Power Reflection
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
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 different in their intelligence; that is their nature-given vitality.
XUNZI

Desire Different Equal Intelligence Men Method Pasion Social Station Together Vary
Man’s nature is evil; goodness is the result of conscious activity.
XUNZI

Activity Conscious Goodness Man Nature Result
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?
XUNZI

Approve Conform Desire Even Good Heat Many Order Pattern Proper
Misery is evil; quarreling, a misfortune. There is only one possibility of avoiding both: a clear division of society. [Otherwise] the strong tyrannize the weak, the intelligent frighten the stupid, the inferior resist the superior, and the young mock the old.
XUNZI

Evil Misery Misfortune Quarrel
Mencius said that human nature is good. I disagree with that.
XUNZI

Disagree Good Human Nature Mencius
The person attempting to travel two roads at once will get nowhere.
XUNZI

Attempt Erson Get Nowhere Once Road Travel

In antiquity the sage kings recognized that men’s nature is bad and that their tendencies were not being corrected and their lawlessness controlled.

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In antiquity the sage kings recognized that men’s nature is bad and that their tendencies were not being corrected and their lawlessness controlled.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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