Xunzi Quotes

Quotes about:

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

  Xunzi

  Inspiring, Leadership, Teacher

  367 Copy quote

• Man's nature is evil; goodness is the result of conscious activity.

  Xunzi

  Men, Evil, Goodness

  51 Copy quote

• The person attempting to travel two roads at once will get nowhere.

  Xunzi

  Travel, Life And Love, Two

  33 Copy quote

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

  Xunzi

  Motivational, Achievement, Effort

  53 Copy quote

• 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

  Practice, Knowing, Heard

  Xunzi (1994). “Xunzi: Books 7-16”, p.81, Stanford University Press

  56 Copy quote

• Pride and excess bring disaster for man.

  Xunzi

  Pride, Men, Excess

  Xunzi, John Knoblock (1988). “Xunzi: A Translation and Study of the Complete Works”, p.186, Stanford University Press

  37 Copy quote

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

  Xunzi

  Men, Noble, Use

  10 Copy quote

• 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.

  Xunzi

  Believe, Animal, Men

  Xunzi (1999). “Xunzi”

  43 Copy quote

• 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

  Teacher, Nature, People

  39 Copy quote

• Music is a fantastic peacekeeper of the world, it is integral to harmony, and it is a required fundamental of human emotion.

  Xunzi

  Music, Fundamentals, World

  54 Copy quote

• 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

  Distance, Climbing, Toes

  15 Copy quote

• 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

  Faith, Loyalty, Hate

  51 Copy quote

• 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

  Teacher, People, Principles

  30 Copy quote

• The rigid cause themselves to be broken; the pliable cause themselves to be bound.

  Xunzi

  Broken, Promise, Causes

  Xunzi, John Knoblock (1988). “Xunzi: A Translation and Study of the Complete Works”, p.137, Stanford University Press

  9 Copy quote

• One must remember equality, yet also be aware of difference, for if the people are allowed to act as it pleases them without coming up against displeasure, if one gives rein to its desires without setting [any] limit, it becomes confused and can no longer take delight in anything.

  Xunzi

  Confused, Equality, Differences

  4 Copy quote

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

  Xunzi

  Thinking, Study, Moments

  21 Copy quote

• The coming of honor or disgrace must be a reflection of one's inner power.

  Xunzi

  Reflection, Power, Honor

  11 Copy quote

• If you wish to see the thousand years, look at today; if you wish to understand the millionfold, then look at the one or the two.

  Xunzi

  Years, Two, Wish

  7 Copy quote

• Human nature is evil, and goodness is caused by intentional activity.

  Xunzi

  Evil, Human Nature, Goodness

  41 Copy quote

• The nature of man is evil; what is good in him is artificial.

  Xunzi

  Men, Evil, Human Nature

  7 Copy quote

• 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

  Strong, Stupid, Intelligent

  8 Copy quote

• Those whose character is mean and vicious will rouse others to animosity against them.

  Xunzi

  Character, Mean, Vicious

  Xunzi, John Knoblock (1988). “Xunzi: A Translation and Study of the Complete Works”, p.137, Stanford University Press

  15 Copy quote

• There are successful scholars, public-spirited scholars, upright scholars, cautious scholars, and those who are merely petty men.

  Xunzi

  Successful, Men, Scholar

  Xunzi, John Knoblock (1988). “Xunzi: A Translation and Study of the Complete Works”, p.179, Stanford University Press

  8 Copy quote

• 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

  Passion, Men, Justice

  31 Copy quote

• Whether the gentleman is capable or not, he is loved all the same; conversely the petty man is loathed all the same.

  Xunzi

  Men, Gentleman, Petty

  Xunzi, John Knoblock (1988). “Xunzi: A Translation and Study of the Complete Works”, p.174, Stanford University Press

  7 Copy quote

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