Who said "By nature we're close. By habit we drift far apart."?

Confucius (551-479 BC). Source: Analects 17.2.

Is "By nature we're close. By habit we drift far apart." on a shirt?

Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.

性相近也，習相遠也

By nature we're close. By habit we drift far apart.

Confucius, Analects 17.2

What it means

People start out much alike; what separates them is what they practice. Your habits, not your birth, decide who you become. Choose them on purpose.

The source

"By nature we're close. By habit we drift far apart." Confucius said it in Analects 17.2. Translated from the original Chinese by Spartan Surfers.

"性相近也，習相遠也。"

Original Chinese, Analects 17.2. Text read at zh.wikisource.org.

Who said it

Confucius (551-479 BC). Teacher from the state of Lu whose conversations, collected by his students as the Analects, shaped two thousand years of Chinese ethics. He taught that character is built through learning, ritual and honest self-examination.

Questions

What does "By nature we're close. By habit we drift far apart." mean?: People start out much alike; what separates them is what they practice. Your habits, not your birth, decide who you become. Choose them on purpose.
Who said "By nature we're close. By habit we drift far apart."?: Confucius (551-479 BC). Source: Analects 17.2.
What is the original Chinese?: 性相近也，習相遠也。. Translated from the original Chinese by Spartan Surfers.
Is "By nature we're close. By habit we drift far apart." on a shirt?: Yes. We print it to order on our tees in 7 illustrated looks, from $44, with free US shipping.

Cite this line

"By nature we're close. By habit we drift far apart." (Confucius, Analects 17.2, translated by Spartan Surfers). https://spartansurfers.com/quotes/by-nature-were-close-by-habit-we-drift