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If the impulse to daring and bravery is too fierce and violent, stay it with guidance and instruction.

Xunzi

Sacrifices are concerned with the feelings of devotion and longing.
XUNZI

Concern Devotion Feel Longing Sacrifice
The rigid cause themselves to be broken; the pliable cause themselves to be bound.
XUNZI

Bound Broken Cause Pilable Right Themselves
Those whose character is mean and vicious will rouse others to animosity against them.
XUNZI

Against Animosity Character Mean Rouse Vicious
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
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
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 to a high place.
XUNZI

Climb Could Far Farther Found High Once Out Place See Stand Toe Tries
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
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
Man’s nature is evil; goodness is the result of conscious activity.
XUNZI

Activity Conscious Goodness Man Nature Result
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
The person attempting to travel two roads at once will get nowhere.
XUNZI

Attempt Erson Get Nowhere Once Road Travel
The drum is surely the lord of music, is it not?
XUNZI

Drum Feel Lord Music Surely
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 noble person uses things; the lesser man is used by things.
XUNZI

Lesser Man Nobel Person Thing Use
Quarreling over food and drink, having neither scruples nor shame, not knowing right from wrong, not trying to avoid death or injury, not fearful of greater strength or of greater numbers, greedily aware only of food and drink – such is the bravery of the dog and boar.
XUNZI

Avoid Death Drink Fearful Food Injury Know Over Quarrel Scruples Shame Strength Try Wrong
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
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
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
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
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
Human nature is evil, and goodness is caused by intentional activity.
XUNZI

Cause Goodness Human Intentional Moment Nature Study
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
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
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
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
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

If the impulse to daring and bravery is too fierce and violent, stay it with guidance and instruction.

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If the impulse to daring and bravery is too fierce and violent, stay it with guidance and instruction.

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