The Good Quote
Open menu
Quotes
Authors
Topics
More
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
#
Home
Authors
Xun Zi
Chinese
Philosopher
About the author
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.
Xun Zi,
Chinese
Philosopher
#Words
#Earth
#Danger
#Lies
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.
Xun Zi,
Chinese
Philosopher
#Time
#Man
#Fact
#Harm
When you locate good in yourself, approve of it with determination. When you locate evil in yourself, despise it as something detestable.
Xun Zi,
Chinese
Philosopher
#Evil
#Determination
The coming of honor or disgrace must be a reflection of one's inner power.
Xun Zi,
Chinese
Philosopher
#Honor
#Power
#Disgrace
#Reflection
Those whose character is mean and vicious will rouse others to animosity against them.
Xun Zi,
Chinese
Philosopher
#Character
#Will
Music is a fantastic peacekeeper of the world, it is integral to harmony, and it is a required fundamental of human emotion.
Xun Zi,
Chinese
Philosopher
#Harmony
#World
#Music
#Emotion
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.
Xun Zi,
Chinese
Philosopher
#Want
#Now
#People
#Rest
#Nature
#Human nature
Pride and excess bring disaster for man.
Xun Zi,
Chinese
Philosopher
#Man
#Pride
#Excess
#Disaster
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.
Xun Zi,
Chinese
Philosopher
#Right
#Death
#Strength
#Food
#Wrong
#Trying
#Numbers
#Shame
#Injury
#Bravery
Sacrifices are concerned with the feelings of devotion and longing.
Xun Zi,
Chinese
Philosopher
#Feelings
#Longing
#Devotion
In order to properly understand the big picture, everyone should fear becoming mentally clouded and obsessed with one small section of truth.
Xun Zi,
Chinese
Philosopher
#Fear
#Truth
#Order
When you concentrate on agriculture and industry and are frugal in expenditures, Heaven cannot impoverish your state.
Xun Zi,
Chinese
Philosopher
#State
#Heaven
#Agriculture
I once tried thinking for an entire day, but I found it less valuable than one moment of study.
Xun Zi,
Chinese
Philosopher
#Thinking
#Study
#Day
In antiquity the sage kings recognized that men's nature is bad and that their tendencies were not being corrected and their lawlessness controlled.
Xun Zi,
Chinese
Philosopher
#Being
#Men
#Nature
#Kings
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?
Xun Zi,
Chinese
Philosopher
#Heart
#Harm
#Order
If the quickness of the mind and the fluency of the tongue are too punctilious and sharp, moderate them in your activity and rest.
Xun Zi,
Chinese
Philosopher
#Mind
#Rest
#Tongue
If the impulse to daring and bravery is too fierce and violent, stay it with guidance and instruction.
Xun Zi,
Chinese
Philosopher
#Guidance
#Bravery
If the gentleman has ability, he is magnanimous, generous, tolerant, and straightforward, through which he opens the way to instruct others.
Xun Zi,
Chinese
Philosopher
#Ability
#Gentleman
Whether the gentleman is capable or not, he is loved all the same; conversely the petty man is loathed all the same.
Xun Zi,
Chinese
Philosopher
#Gentleman
A person is born with a liking for profit.
Xun Zi,
Chinese
Philosopher
#Profit
If knowledge and foresight are too penetrating and deep, unify them with ease and sincerity.
Xun Zi,
Chinese
Philosopher
#Deep
#Knowledge
#Sincerity
#Foresight
A person is born with desires of the eyes and ears, and a liking for beautiful sights and sounds. If he gives way to them, they will lead him to immorality and lack of restriction, and any ritual principles and propriety will be abandoned.
Xun Zi,
Chinese
Philosopher
#Will
#Eyes
#Principles
#Ritual
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.
Xun Zi,
Chinese
Philosopher
Human nature refers to what is in people but which they cannot study or work at achieving.
Xun Zi,
Chinese
Philosopher
#People
#Work
#Study
#Nature
#Human nature
Human nature is what Heaven supplies.
Xun Zi,
Chinese
Philosopher
#Nature
#Human nature
#Heaven
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.
Xun Zi,
Chinese
Philosopher
#Love
#People
#Will
#Nature
#Human nature
#Struggle
#Profit
#Yield
Human nature is evil, and goodness is caused by intentional activity.
Xun Zi,
Chinese
Philosopher
#Evil
#Nature
#Human nature
#Goodness
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.
Xun Zi,
Chinese
Philosopher
#Will
#Crime
#Sense
#Faith
#Violence
#Loyalty
#Hate
#Feelings
#Envy
The person attempting to travel two roads at once will get nowhere.
Xun Zi,
Chinese
Philosopher
#Will
#Travel
If the blood humor is too strong and robust, calm it with balance and harmony.
Xun Zi,
Chinese
Philosopher
#Harmony
#Balance
#Humor
#Blood
The petty man is eager to make boasts, yet desires that others should believe in him. He enthusiastically engages in deception, yet wants others to have affection for him. He conducts himself like an animal, yet wants others to think well of him.
Xun Zi,
Chinese
Philosopher
#Man
#Affection
#Deception
#Boasts
The rigid cause themselves to be broken; the pliable cause themselves to be bound.
Xun Zi,
Chinese
Philosopher
#Cause
There are successful scholars, public-spirited scholars, upright scholars, cautious scholars, and those who are merely petty men.
Xun Zi,
Chinese
Philosopher
#Public
#Successful
#Men
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.
Xun Zi,
Chinese
Philosopher
#First
#Society
#Principles
#Order
#Rules
#Humility
#Courtesy
#Ritual
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.
Xun Zi,
Chinese
Philosopher
#People
#Teachers
#Nature
#Principles
#Ritual
When people lack teachers, their tendencies are not corrected; when they do not have ritual and moral principles, then their lawlessness is not controlled.
Xun Zi,
Chinese
Philosopher
#People
#Teachers
#Principles
#Ritual
Mencius said that human nature is good. I disagree with that.
Xun Zi,
Chinese
Philosopher
#Nature
#Human nature
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.
Xun Zi,
Chinese
Philosopher
#Will
#End
#Society
#Nature
#states
#Rules
#Quarrels