by nature, near together; by practice, far apart
Proverb from the Analects of Confucius meaning that people are born similar but diverge through habits and learning.
The saying 'By nature, near together; by practice, far apart' teaches the importance of education.
From the Analects of Confucius (論語), Book 17, Chapter 2. The original Chinese is 性相近也,習相遠也.