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

Xunzi

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

Lesser Man Nobel Person Thing Use
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
If there is no dull and determined effort, there will be no brilliant achievement.
XUNZI

Achievement Brillant Determine Dull Effort
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
They are done merely for ornament. … the common people regard them as supernatural.
XUNZI

Common Done Merely Ornament People Regard Supernatural
The nature of man is evil; what is good in him is artificial.
XUNZI

Artificial Good Man Nature
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
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
Those whose character is mean and vicious will rouse others to animosity against them.
XUNZI

Against Animosity Character Mean Rouse Vicious
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
Pride and excess bring disaster for man.
XUNZI

Bring Disaster Excess Man Pride
Sacrifice is a state of mind in which our thoughts turn with longing [toward Heaven, the Ancestors], It is the supreme expression of loyalty, love, and respect.
XUNZI

Ancestor Expression Heaven Longing Love Loyalty Mind Respect Sacrifice State Supreme Through
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
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

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

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

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