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
Those whose character is mean and vicious will rouse others to animosity against them.
character
Pride and excess bring disaster for man.
disaster man
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.
man
Whether the gentleman is capable or not, he is loved all the same; conversely the petty man is loathed all the 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?
order
There are successful scholars, public-spirited scholars, upright scholars, cautious scholars, and those who are merely petty men.
men the-public
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.
crime faith
If the quickness of the mind and the fluency of the tongue are too punctilious and sharp, moderate them in your activity and rest.
mind rest
Music is a fantastic peacekeeper of the world, it is integral to harmony, and it is a required fundamental of human emotion.
harmony emotions music
If the gentleman has ability, he is magnanimous, generous, tolerant, and straightforward, through which he opens the way to instruct others.
ability
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.
places distance
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.
places danger
sound principles
The person attempting to travel two roads at once will get nowhere.
travel
If the blood humor is too strong and robust, calm it with balance and harmony.
funny humor harmony
Showing 16 to 30 of 31 results
You must log in to post a comment.
There are no comments yet.