"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."

Death

Create & Download Quote Graphic

Customize Image

1. Canvas Aspect Ratio

2. Palette Theme

Thematic Reflection

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

Explore all Death quotes → Browse all wisdom by Xun Zi →

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.

View all quotes by Xun Zi →
Editorial Integrity: Curated and fact-checked under our Editorial Standards to eliminate misattributions and preserve historical authenticity.
Learn about our methodology →

More by Xun Zi

"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."

— Xun Zi
Read more →

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

— Xun Zi
Read more →

"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."

— Xun Zi
Read more →

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

— Xun Zi
Read more →

More about Death

"The Egyptian contribution to architecture was more concerned with remembering the dead than the living."

— Stephen Gardiner
Read more →

"But I was very, very lucky, and it was a wake up call as far as motorbikes are concerned. I never flirted with death on the bike, but now I'm totally convinced they're death machines."

— Liam Neeson
Read more →

"I'm not in the leftist controlled Rock and Roll Hall of Fame because of my political views, primarily my lifelong militant support of the NRA, the Second Amendment, and my belief that the only good bad guy is a dead bad guy."

— Ted Nugent
Read more →

"One must keep working continuously; otherwise, one thinks of death."

— Enzo Ferrari
Read more →
Browse all Death quotes →