Human Nature Like Water
Text
English translation
Original Chinese text
告子曰:“性,犹湍水也。决诸东方则东流,决诸西方则西流。人性之无分于善不善也,犹水之无分于东西也。”
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
孟子曰:“水信无分于东西,无分于上下乎?人性之善也,犹水之就下也。人无有不善,水无有不下。今夫水:搏而跃之,可使过颡;激而行之,可使在山。是岂水之性哉?其势则然也。人之可使为不善,其性亦犹是也。”
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.”