Nature vs Deliberate Effort

As I was reading Xunzi, I noticed that he repeatedly goes back and forth regarding the difference between nature and deliberate effort. He defines nature as an “accomplishment of Heaven” and something that cannot be learned. Deliberate effort is defined as something that can be learned and worked at. Reading about this got me thinking; if this is true, should humans be defined by their nature or their effort? For example, if someone is born with a “bad” nature but they are working to be better, which one would you judge them by? A way that I conceptualize this in my head is the idea of thoughts vs actions, nature being the thought and effort being the actions. Lets go along with what Xunzi says; humans are born bad by nature. If a human’s “default” is bad thoughts, such as wanting to steal or lie, but they make an effort everyday to avoid doing this (sometimes failing). which would you judge them by? Their thoughts or their actions? Are humans defined by our nature or our effort? Or are we both?

I think we are a mix of both. I dont believe that having a bad nature makes us bad as a whole. In the end, most of us cannot control our thoughts and desires. However, we can control our actions and what we do with those thoughts and desires. So whether or not humans are “bad” by nature as Xunzi says, it doesn’t matter all that much. We, as humans, shouldn't be defined only by what we cannot control.