Q0366
“Those who wish to cultivate themselves first rectify the mind; those who…” — The Great Learning (The Great Learning)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: The Great Learning. Theme: self.
English
Those who wish to cultivate themselves first rectify the mind; those who wish to rectify the mind first make the intention sincere.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to The Great Learning and files it under Confucianism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About The Great Learning
The Great Learning appears in this archive through verified English quotations associated with the Confucianism tradition. Biographical certainty varies by figure and text; where the “author” is a scripture or school anthology, read the name as a traditional attribution rather than a modern individual biography.
How to read this passage
To ask about the self is to ask what persists through experience, what can be known from the first-person point of view, and how character is formed. Some traditions treat the self as a substantial soul; others as a stream of experience, a social role, or a practical center of agency. This passage enters that discussion through self.
Concepts in this quote
- Self
- Philosophy quotes about self explore identity, responsibility, and the examined life—from Socrates’ unexamined life to modern phenomenology and existential authenticity.
How to cite this quotation
APA: The Great Learning. (n.d.). Those who wish to cultivate themselves first rectify the mind; those who wish to rectify the mind first make the intention sincere. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0366
MLA: The Great Learning. “Those who wish to cultivate themselves first rectify….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0366.
Chicago: The Great Learning. “Those who wish to cultivate themselves first rectify….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0366.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “Those who wish to cultivate themselves first rectify…”?
The passage is attributed to The Great Learning, The Great Learning. The archive attributes this English wording to The Great Learning and files it under Confucianism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does The Great Learning mean by self?
To ask about the self is to ask what persists through experience, what can be known from the first-person point of view, and how character is formed. Some traditions treat the self as a substantial soul; others as a stream of experience, a social role, or a practical center of agency. This passage enters that discussion through self.