"When people lack teachers, their tendencies are not corrected when they do not have ritual and moral principles, then their lawlessness is not controlled."

Action

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Thematic Reflection

This quotation examines the core nature of Action as articulated by Xun Zi. Within historical and literary traditions, reflections on Action provide actionable mental models, challenging individuals to evaluate personal ethics, self-discipline, and daily actions.

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About Xun Zi

Xunzi, born Xun Kuang, was a late Warring States period Confucian Chinese philosopher, often ranked as the third great Confucian philosopher of antiquity after his predecessors Confucius and Mencius. By his time, Confucianism had suffered considerable criticism from Taoist and Mohist thinkers, and Xunzi is traditionally regarded as a synthesizer of these traditions with earlier Confucian thought. The result was a thorough and cohesive revision of Confucianism, which was crucial to the philosophy's ability to flourish in the Han dynasty and throughout the later history of East Asia. His works were compiled in the eponymous Xunzi, and survive in excellent condition. Unlike other ancient compilations, his authorship of these texts is generally secure, though it is likely that Western Han dynasty historian Liu Xiang organized them into their present form centuries after Xunzi's death.

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More by Xun Zi

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

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"Thus, anybody who follows this nature and gives way its states will be led into quarrels and conflicts, and go against the conventions and rules of society, and will end up a criminal."

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

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"Therefore, a person should first be changed by a teacher's instructions, and guided by principles of ritual. Only then can he observe the rules of courtesy and humility, obey the conventions and rules of society, and achieve order."

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More about Action

"The discipline of writing something down is the first step toward making it happen."

— Lee Iacocca
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"I don't want to be perfect, but I do want to be a role model. My mom always tells me that imperfections equal beauty. All of us are imperfect."

— Miley Cyrus
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"I never really thought I had much to add to the conversation that was occurring at 'MADtv.' I didn't know what I would do on the show. But I showed up ,and I was surprised - it was fun to work on. Everybody there was really nice, and they seemed to be interested in my contributions."

— Andy Daly
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"In marriage, it's always that give and take and rebalancing that we have to do in how we can help each other. But, I have been known at times by my sons, that is the name that they call me-the Mitt stabilizer."

— Ann Romney
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