Mencius

There is no greater delight than to be conscious of sincerity on self-examination.

— Mencius

There is a power in everything; it is the job of the artist to determine it and express it.

— Mencius

Only those who develop their minds and spirits to the utmost can serve Heaven and fulfill their own destinies.

— Mencius

The way is near, but men seek it afar. It is in easy things, but men seek for it in difficult things.

— Mencius

Friendship with a man is friendship with his virtue, and does not admit of assumptions of superiority.

— Mencius

Is it only the mouth and belly which are injured by hunger and thirst? Men's minds are also injured by them.

— Mencius

The way of truth is like a great highway. It is not hard to find.

— Mencius

The sole concern of learning is to seek one's original heart.

— Mencius

He who outrages benevolence is called a ruffian: he who outrages righteousness is called a villain. I have heard of the cutting…

— Mencius

By exhaustively examining one's own mind,one may understand his nature.One who understands his own nature understands Heaven.

— Mencius

The path of duty lies in what is near, and men seek for it in what is remote; the work of duty…

— Mencius

Treat your elders as elders, and extend it to the elders of others; treat your young ones as young ones, and extend…

— Mencius

A trail through the mountains, if used, becomes a path in a short time, but, if unused, becomes blocked by grass in…

— Mencius

The great man does not think beforehand of his words that they may be sincere, nor of his actions that they may…

— Mencius

Without effective protection of the citizens' right to property, it will be difficult to attract and accumulate valuable capital.

— Mencius

The great man is he who does not lose his child-heart. He does not think beforehand that his words shall be sincere,…

— Mencius

Where it is permissible both to die and not to die, it is an abuse of valour to die.

— Mencius

A man must first despise himself, and then others will despise him.

— Mencius

Every duty is a charge, but the charge of oneself is the root of all others.

— Mencius

Sincerity is the way to heaven; to think how to be sincere is the way of man.

— Mencius

He who loves others is constantly loved by them. He who respects others is constantly respected by them.

— Mencius

Only when a man will not do some things is he capable of doing great things.

— Mencius

People can have a long-term life plan only if they know their private property is secure.

— Mencius

The tendency of mans nature to good is like the tendency of water to flow downward.

— Mencius

“People are distressed by their inability to do it. The problem, however, is simply that they don't do it.”

— Mencius

Only when someone refuses to do certain things will he be capable of doing great things.

— Mencius

Kindly words do not enter so deeply into men as a reputation for kindness.

— Mencius

If the prince of a State love benevolence, he will have no opponent in all the empire.

— Mencius

Heaven sees as the people see. Heaven hears as the people hear.

— Mencius

To lay hold of the mean without taking into account the occasion is like grasping one thing only.

— Mencius

He who loves others is always loved by them, and he who respects others is always respected by them.

— Mencius

It is not difficult to govern. All one has to do is not to offend the noble families.

— Mencius

The way of learning is none other than finding the lost mind.

— Mencius

“Only when there are things a man will not do is he capable of doing great things.”

— Mencius

People are eager to comment on something when they themselves are not in the situation of doing it.

— Mencius

A man must not be without shame, for the shame of being without shame is shamelessness indeed.

— Mencius

If you know that a thing is unrighteous, then use all dispatch in putting an end to it--why wait till next year?

— Mencius

The way of truth is like a great road. It is not difficult to know it. The evil is only that men…

— Mencius

To act without clear understanding, to form habits without investigation, to follow a path all one's life without knowing where it really…

— Mencius

Let not a man do what his sense of right bids him not to do, nor desire what it forbids him to…

— Mencius