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

Xunzi

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

Disagree Good Human Nature Mencius
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
Sacrifices are concerned with the feelings of devotion and longing.
XUNZI

Concern Devotion Feel Longing Sacrifice
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
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
Those whose character is mean and vicious will rouse others to animosity against them.
XUNZI

Against Animosity Character Mean Rouse Vicious
If the impulse to daring and bravery is too fierce and violent, stay it with guidance and instruction.
XUNZI

Bravery Daring Fierce Guidance Impulsive Instruction Stay Violent
The rigid cause themselves to be broken; the pliable cause themselves to be bound.
XUNZI

Bound Broken Cause Pilable Right Themselves
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
The drum is surely the lord of music, is it not?
XUNZI

Drum Feel Lord Music Surely
Thus, that one can find no place to walk through the breadth of the earth is not because the earth is not tranquil but because the danger to every step of the traveler lies generally with words.
XUNZI

Breath Danger Earth Place Step Transit
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
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
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

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

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

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