Whether the gentleman is capable or not, he is loved all the same; conversely the petty man is loathed all the same.

Sacrifices are concerned with the feelings of devotion and longing.

Thus, that one can find no place to walk through the breadth of the earth is not because the earth is not tranquil but because the danger to every step of the traveler lies generally with words.

If what the heart approves conforms to proper patterns, then even if one's desires are many, what harm would they be to good order?

In antiquity the sage kings recognized that men's nature is bad and that their tendencies were not being corrected and their lawlessness controlled.

Since the nature of people is bad, to become corrected they must be taught by teachers and to be orderly they must acquire ritual and moral principles.

Mencius said that human nature is good. I disagree with that.