Skip to content

The learning of the gentleman enters through his ears, fastens to his heart, spreads through his four limbs, and manifests itself in his actions. ... The learning of the petty person enters through his ears and passes out his mouth. From mouth to ears is only four inches—how could it be enough to improve a whole body much larger than that?

— Xunzi Readings in Classical Chinese Philosophy (2001)

Another quote →

Topics

Learning

More quotes by Xunzi

A questioner asks: If human nature is evil, then where do ritual and rightness come from? I reply: ritual and rightness are always created by the conscious activity of the sages.

Sources of Chinese Tradition (1999)

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?

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

Fayek S. Hourani (2012)

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

Errick A. Ford (2010)

In order to properly understand the big picture, everyone should fear becoming mentally clouded and obsessed with one small section of truth.

Joan Klostermann-Ketels (2011)

All Xunzi quotes →

You may also like

Reading maketh a full man; conference a ready man; and writing an exact man.

Francis Bacon Meditationes sacræ (1597)

Without education, we are in a horrible and deadly danger of taking educated people seriously.

G. K. Chesterton

There is the love of knowing without the love of learning; the beclouding here leads to dissipation of mind.

Confucius

Learning will be cast into the mire and trodden down under the hoofs of a swinish multitude.

Edmund Burke Reflections on the Revolution in France (1790)

Attribution

Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Xunzi (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.