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The person attempting to travel two roads at once will get nowhere.

Xunzi

The rigid cause themselves to be broken; the pliable cause themselves to be bound.
XUNZI

Bound Broken Cause Pilable Right Themselves
Sacrifices are concerned with the feelings of devotion and longing.
XUNZI

Concern Devotion Feel Longing Sacrifice
Man’s nature is evil; goodness is the result of conscious activity.
XUNZI

Activity Conscious Goodness Man Nature Result
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
Those whose character is mean and vicious will rouse others to animosity against them.
XUNZI

Against Animosity Character Mean Rouse Vicious
There are successful scholars, public-spirited scholars, upright scholars, cautious scholars, and those who are merely petty men.
XUNZI

Caution Men Merely Petty Public Scholar Spirit Successful Upright
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 blood humor is too strong and robust, calm it with balance and harmony.
XUNZI

Balance Blood Calm Harmony Humor Robust Strong
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 any sense of loyalty and good faith will be abandoned.
XUNZI

Born Envy Faith Feel Given Good Hate Loyalty Person Sense Them Violence Way
They are done merely for ornament. … the common people regard them as supernatural.
XUNZI

Common Done Merely Ornament People Regard Supernatural
Pride and excess bring disaster for man.
XUNZI

Bring Disaster Excess Man Pride
Whether the gentleman is capable or not, he is loved all the same; conversely the petty man is loathed all the same.
XUNZI

Capable Conversely Gentlemen Love Petty Same
If you wish to see the thousand years, look at today; if you wish to understand the millionfold, then look at the one or the two.
XUNZI

Look Millionfold One Thousand Today Two Understand Wish Year
The noble person uses things; the lesser man is used by things.
XUNZI

Lesser Man Nobel Person Thing Use
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
The person attempting to travel two roads at once will get nowhere.
XUNZI

Attempt Erson Get Nowhere Once Road Travel

The person attempting to travel two roads at once will get nowhere.

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The person attempting to travel two roads at once will get nowhere.

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