When people lack teachers, their tendencies are not corrected; when they do not have ritual and moral principles, then their lawlessness is not controlled.
XunziRead
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?
Interpretation
What this quote means
When our desires align with righteousness and order, they can coexist positively.
This quote from Xunzi suggests that if our desires are grounded in virtue and align with a moral framework, the multitude of desires we may have will not disturb the harmony of our lives. It emphasizes the importance of aligning one's heart and intentions with good principles, allowing for a rich yet orderly life.
Themes
DesiresOrderHeartPatternsVirtue
In practice
Example use cases
In a discussion about living a balanced life, one could use this quote to emphasize the importance of moral foundations in guiding personal desires.
More from Xunzi
All quotes →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.
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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.
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If the gentleman has ability, he is magnanimous, generous, tolerant, and straightforward, through which he opens the way to instruct others.
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In antiquity the sage kings recognized that men's nature is bad and that their tendencies were not being corrected and their lawlessness controlled.
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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.
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