black
grey
blue
red
brown
white

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 does not flow downward.

Mencius

The gap between enthusiasm and indifference is filled with failures. The great man is he that does not lose his child’s heart.
MENCIUS

Children Failure Heart Men
He who wishes to be benevolent will not be rich.
MENCIUS

Choice Himself Rich
The feeling of right or wrong is the beginning of wisdom.
MENCIUS

Beginning Feeling Right Wisdom Wrong
The tendency of mans nature to good is like the tendency of water to flow downward.
MENCIUS

Flow Human Nature Water
Every duty is a charge, but the charge of oneself is the root of all others.
MENCIUS

Duty Responsibility Roots
Treat your elders as elders, and extend it to the elders of others; treat your young ones as young ones, and extend it to the young ones of others; then you can turn the whole world in the palm of your hand.
MENCIUS

Hands Respect World
So I like life and I like righteousness; if I cannot keep the two together, I will let life go and choose righteousness.
MENCIUS

Choice Justice Right Togetherness
Kindly words do not enter so deeply into men as a reputation for kindness.
MENCIUS

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

Ability Character Men
Sincerity is the way to heaven; to think how to be sincere is the way of man.
MENCIUS

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

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

Advice People Talk
To feed men and not to love them is to treat them as if they were barnyard cattle. To love them and not respect them is to treat them as if they were household pets.
MENCIUS

Freedom Men Pet
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

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 does not flow downward.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

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 does not flow downward.

Related Topics

Popular Authors

More Mencius Quotes