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

Flow Human Nature Water
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
All people have the common desire to be elevated in honour, but all people have something still more elevated in themselves without knowing it.
MENCIUS

Deep Desire People Philosophy
The ways are two: love and want of love. That is all.
MENCIUS

Compassion Love
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
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 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
Secure property in hand leads to peace in mind.
MENCIUS

Freedom Hands Mindset One Liner Security
The myriad things are complete in us. There is no greater joy than to reflect on ourselves and become sincere.
MENCIUS

Happiness Joy Reflection Sincere
When Heaven is about to confer a great office upon you, it first exercises your mind with suffering and your sinews and bones with toil.
MENCIUS

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

Character Existence Men Shame
There is a power in everything; it is the job of the artist to determine it and express it.
MENCIUS

Artist Job Power
Human nature is disposed to do good.
MENCIUS

Goodness Human Nature One Liner Spirituality
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
He who exerts his mind to the utmost knows his nature.
MENCIUS

Himself Mind Nature

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.

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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

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