Human Nature Like Water

Contents

Text

English translation

Original Chinese text

English translation

Gaozi said, “Human nature is like rushing water. Open an outlet to the east and it flows east; open one to the west and it flows west. Human nature makes no distinction between good and not good, just as water makes no distinction between east and west.”

Original Chinese text

English translation

Mencius said, “Water may indeed make no distinction between east and west, but does it make no distinction between above and below? The goodness of human nature is like water flowing downward. There are no people without goodness, just as there is no water that does not flow down. Strike water and make it leap, and you can send it above your forehead; dam it and force it upward, and you can make it flow over a hill. Is that the nature of water? It is the force applied to it. That people can be driven to do wrong is like this too.”

Feedback