10 Quotes & Sayings By Xun Kuang

Xun Kuang is a Chinese-Australian author of historical novels. He was born in Shanghai, China, and raised in Australia. He is an Australian citizen, and has been living in Australia since he was two years old. He studied at the Australian National University where he received a Bachelor of Arts degree in English Literature Read more

In his early twenties, he moved to New York City to pursue a career as a professional actor. He has been married to his wife, Nicole, for over twenty years and they have two daughters.

1
Tell me and I forget, teach me and I may remember, involve me and I learn." Benjamin Franklin never said those words, he was falsely attributed on a respected quotation website and it spread from there. The quote comes from the Xunzi.Xun Kuang was a Chinese Confucian philosopher that lived from 312-230 BC. His works were collected into a set of 32 books called the Xunzi, by Liu Xiang in about 818 AD. There are woodblock copies of these books that are almost 1100 years old. Book 8 is titled Ruxiao ("The Teachings of the Ru"). The quotation in question comes from Chapter 11 of that book. In Chinese the quote is:不闻不若闻ä¹â€¹, é—»ä¹â€¹ä¸è‹¥è§ä¹â€¹, 见ä¹â€¹ä¸è‹¥çŸ¥ä¹â€¹, 知ä¹â€¹ä¸è‹¥è¡Œä¹â€¹It is derived from this paragraph: Not having heard something is not as good as having heard it; having heard it is not as good as having seen it; having seen it is not as good as knowing it; knowing it is not as good as putting it into practice. (From the John Knoblock translation, which is viewable in Google Books)The first English translation of the Xunzi was done by H.H. Dubs, in 1928, one-hundred and thirty-eight years after Benjamin Franklin died. Xun Kuang
2
If the blood humor is too strong and robust, calm it with balance and harmony. Xun Kuang
3
Human nature is evil, and goodness is caused by intentional activity. Xun Kuang
4
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 Kuang
5
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 Kuang
6
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. Xun Kuang
7
If knowledge and foresight are too penetrating and deep, unify them with ease and sincerity. Xun Kuang
8
In order to properly understand the big picture, everyone should fear becoming mentally clouded and obsessed with one small section of truth. Xun Kuang
9
The person attempting to travel two roads at once will get nowhere. Xun Kuang