“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.”

Those whose character is mean and vicious will rouse others to animosity against them.

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

They are done merely for ornament. … the common people regard them as supernatural.

I once tried thinking for an entire day, but I found it less valuable than one moment of study.

The noble person uses things; the lesser man is used by things.

Whether the gentleman is capable or not, he is loved all the same; conversely the petty man is loathed all the same.

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.

When you concentrate on agriculture and industry and are frugal in expenditures, Heaven cannot impoverish your state.

You look upon the seasons with expectation and await them: wy not seize the seasonal opportunities and exploit them?

Sacrifices are concerned with the feelings of devotion and longing.

Pride and excess bring disaster for man.

Human nature is evil, and goodness is caused by intentional activity.

Mencius said that human nature is good. I disagree with that.

Music is a fantastic peacekeeper of the world, it is integral to harmony, and it is a required fundamental of human emotion.

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.

Now it is human nature to want to eat to ones fill when hungry, to want to warm up when cold, to want to rest when tired. These all are a part of people’s emotional nature.