Xunzi

The nature of man is evil; his goodness is acquired.

If a man's desires are not regulated by the Way, he cannot but dispute with others.

Learning is not a matter of a single day or two, but of accumulation.

A journey of a thousand li begins beneath one's feet.

The frog in the well cannot discuss the ocean, because he is limited by the size of his well.

If the qi is not strong, the body cannot be healthy. If the mind is not steadfast, wisdom cannot be complete.

Heaven has its constant ways. It does not depend on a sage like Yao to exist, nor on a tyrant like Jie to perish.

The gentleman is cautious about what he does not know, and careful about what he does not see.

To be good at learning is to follow the Way; to be good at doing is to practice the Way.

Learning reaches its completion when one has reached the stage of being a sage.

The petty man thinks that to make a small gain is to be wise. The superior man thinks that to make a small loss is to be foolish.

No road is too long for one who advances with slow steps; no task is too difficult for one who does not give up.

The gentleman uses things, but is not used by things.

A good general does not fight with his troops, but with his strategy. A good king does not govern with his strength, but with his virtue.

The gentleman is always in awe of the Way of Heaven.

The nature of man is to desire profit, and if he acts according to this nature, he will contend and snatch.

The sage is one who transforms his nature and establishes artifice.

Without ritual, there is no way to regulate human desires.

Music is the harmony of Heaven and Earth.

The path to wisdom is to ask about things you don't know.