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The great man does not think beforehand of his words that they may be sincere, nor of his actions that they may be resolute- he simply speaks and does what is right.

Mencius

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

Himself Love Respect
Sincerity is the way to heaven.
MENCIUS

Heaven Sincere
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
Listen to a man’s words and look at the pupil of his eye. How can a man conceal his character?
MENCIUS

Character Eyes Hide Men Word
Friendship with a man is friendship with his virtue, and does not admit of assumptions of superiority.
MENCIUS

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

Enemy Government Love
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
The way of truth is like a great road. It is not difficult to know it. The evil is only that men will not seek it.
MENCIUS

Difficult Evil Men Seek
Let not a man do what his sense of right bids him not to do, nor desire what it forbids him to desire. This is sufficient. The skillful artist will not alter his measures for the sake of a stupid workman.
MENCIUS

Artist Desire Men Stupidity
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
The sole concern of learning is to seek one’s original heart.
MENCIUS

Heart Learning Seek
The regular path of virtue is to be pursued without any bend, and from no view to emolument.
MENCIUS

Path View Virtue
By exhaustively examining one’s own mind,one may understand his nature. One who understands his own nature understands Heaven.
MENCIUS

Heaven Mind Nature Understand
The tendency of mans nature to good is like the tendency of water to flow downward.
MENCIUS

Flow Human Nature Water
Is it only the mouth and belly which are injured by hunger and thirst? Men’s minds are also injured by them.
MENCIUS

Food Hunger Injury Men Mindset
It is not difficult to govern. All one has to do is not to offend the noble families.
MENCIUS

Authority Difficult Family Government

The great man does not think beforehand of his words that they may be sincere, nor of his actions that they may be resolute- he simply speaks and does what is right.

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The great man does not think beforehand of his words that they may be sincere, nor of his actions that they may be resolute- he simply speaks and does what is right.

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Popular Authors

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