Quote of the Day by Gaozi: “Give it a breach to the east, and it will flow to the east” — the ancient Chinese philosopher’s powerful life lesson on human nature, morality, environment, character and free will, and why the direction of our lives may depend less on what we are born with than on how we are shaped by society and experience

Quote of the Day by Gaozi: “Give it a breach to the east, and it will flow to the east” captures his controversial view that human nature is neither inherently good nor bad. Like water, people can be directed by their surroundings, habits and moral education. Beneath the metaphor lies a deeper question about character: are we born with a fixed moral nature, or do experience and society shape who we become? Gaozi’s argument remains relevant to debates about morality, free will, upbringing, environment and the making of human character.