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He who attends to his greater self becomes a great man, and he who attends to his smaller self becomes a small man.

Mencius

When one by force subdues men, they do not submit to him in heart. They submit because their strength is not adequate to resist.
MENCIUS

Force Heart Men Power Resistance
The disease of men is that they neglect their own fields and go to weed the fields of others.
MENCIUS

Avoid Destroy Hate Man
Try your best to treat others as you would wish to be treated yourself, and you will find that this is the shortest way to benevolence.
MENCIUS

Inspirational Yourself
Heaven sees as the people see. Heaven hears as the people hear.
MENCIUS

Equality Heaven People See
Where it is permissible both to die and not to die, it is an abuse of valour to die.
MENCIUS

Death Freedom
The Way lies at hand yet it is sought afar off; the thing lies in the easy yet it is sought in the difficult.
MENCIUS

Difficult Hands Lying Warrior
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 one at one time, becomes good at another time to somebody else.
MENCIUS

Deep Evil Goodness Negative Perspective Philosophy Spiritual
If the King loves music, it is well with the land.
MENCIUS

King Land Music Rule
Friendship with a man is friendship with his virtue, and does not admit of assumptions of superiority.
MENCIUS

Character Friendship Men
A small country cannot contend with a great; the few cannot contend with the many; the weak cannot contend with the strong.
MENCIUS

Country Greatness Strong Weakness
Virtue alone is not sufficient for the exercise of government; laws alone cannot carry themselves into practice.
MENCIUS

Alone Enough Exercise Government Law Practice Virtue
If you know that a thing is unrighteous, then use all dispatch in putting an end to it–why wait till next year?
MENCIUS

End Evil Wait Years
The ways are two: love and want of love. That is all.
MENCIUS

Compassion Love
Incessant falls teach men to reform, and distress rouses their strength. Life springs from calamity, and death from ease.
MENCIUS

Born Fall Men Philosophy Spirituality Spring
Men must be decided on what they will not do, and then they are able to act with vigor in what they ought to do.
MENCIUS

Decision Men Vigor
Never has a man who has bent himself been able to make others straight.
MENCIUS

Ability Character Men

He who attends to his greater self becomes a great man, and he who attends to his smaller self becomes a small man.

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He who attends to his greater self becomes a great man, and he who attends to his smaller self becomes a small man.

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