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If there is no dull and determined effort, there will be no brilliant achievement.

Xunzi

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
Tell me and I forget. Teach me and I remember. Involve me and I learn.
XUNZI

Forget Involve Remember Teach Tell
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
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
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
Human nature is evil, and goodness is caused by intentional activity.
XUNZI

Cause Goodness Human Intentional Moment Nature Study
The noble person uses things; the lesser man is used by things.
XUNZI

Lesser Man Nobel Person Thing Use
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
When people lack teachers, their tendencies are not corrected; when they do not have ritual and moral principles, then their lawlessness is not controlled.
XUNZI

Control Correct Lack Lawlessness More People Ritual Teacher Tendency
When you concentrate on agriculture and industry and are frugal in expenditures, Heaven cannot impoverish your state.
XUNZI

Activity Agriculture Concentrate Frugal Industry Moderate Rest Sharp
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
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
If there is no dull and determined effort, there will be no brilliant achievement.
XUNZI

Achievement Brillant Determine Dull Effort
Mencius said that human nature is good. I disagree with that.
XUNZI

Disagree Good Human Nature Mencius
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
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

If there is no dull and determined effort, there will be no brilliant achievement.

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If there is no dull and determined effort, there will be no brilliant achievement.

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