“The nature of man is evil; his goodness is only acquired training. ”
— Xunzi
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Simplified Meaning:
People are not born with good behavior; they have to learn it over time through teaching and practice. Think about a young child who grabs toys from other kids. At first, the child doesn’t know that this is bad because they are acting on their natural instincts. Parents and teachers then step in to guide the child, teaching them about sharing and being kind. Over time, the child learns to be considerate and polite. This shows how being good is something people develop through education and guidance rather than something they are born with. So, if someone wants to be better, they need to focus on learning and practicing good habits each day.
Related tags
Ethics Evil Goodness Human behavior Human nature Moral philosophy Self-improvement Training
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