All Mencius Quotes
- There is the work of great men and there is the work of little men. Therefore it is said, 'Some labor with their minds and… Govern
- The five kinds of grains are considered good plants, but if the grains are not ripe, they are worse than cockles. It is the same… Cockles
- Listen to a man's words and look at the pupil of his eye. How can a man conceal his character? Character
- When one by force subdues men, they do not submit to him in heart. They submit because their strength is not adequate to resist. Adequate
- Virtue alone is not sufficient for the exercise of government; laws alone cannot carry themselves into practice. Alone
- It is true that water will flow indifferently to east and west, but will it flow equally well up and down? Human nature is disposed… Causes
- The people turn in allegiance to Humanity, as surely as water flows downward or as a wild animal takes cover in the wilderness. Allegiance
- Heaven sees as the people see. Heaven hears as the people hear. Hear
- All things are complete within ourselves. All
- The poor attend to their own virtue in solitude. Attend
- A man must first despise himself, and then others will despise him. Despise
- To lay hold of the mean without taking into account the occasion is like grasping one thing only. Account
- Every duty is a charge, but the charge of oneself is the root of all others. All
- Evil exists to glorify the good. Evil is negative good. It is a relative term. Evil can be transmuted into good. What is evil to… Another Time
- It is not difficult to govern. All one has to do is not to offend the noble families. All
- Human nature is good, just as water seeks low ground. There is no man who is not good, just as there is no water that… Doe
- The sole concern of learning is to seek one's original heart. Concern
- If you know that a thing is unrighteous, then use all dispatch in putting an end to it--why wait till next year? All
- Incessant falls teach men to reform, and distress rouses their strength. Life springs from calamity, and death from ease. Affliction
- The path of duty lies in what is near, and men seek for it in what is remote; the work of duty lies in what… Difficult