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He who goes to the bottom of his own heart knows his own nature; And knowing his own nature, he knows heaven.

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

Path View Virtue
One who believes all of a book would be better off without books.
MENCIUS

Believe Book
Secure property in hand leads to peace in mind.
MENCIUS

Freedom Hands Mindset One Liner Security
Never lose your child’s heart.
MENCIUS

Children Heart One Liner
Friendship with a man is friendship with his virtue, and does not admit of assumptions of superiority.
MENCIUS

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

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

Love Reaction Respect Treat
The way is near, but men seek it afar. It is in easy things, but men seek for it in difficult things.
MENCIUS

Easy Men Philosophy Seek Way
To act without clear understanding, to form habits without investigation, to follow a path all one’s life without knowing where it really leads; such is the behavior of the multitude.
MENCIUS

Act Ignorance Leadership Life Understand
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
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
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
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
Every duty is a charge, but the charge of oneself is the root of all others.
MENCIUS

Duty Responsibility Roots
The foundation of the world lies in the nation. The foundation of the nation lies in the family. The foundation of the family lies in the individual.
MENCIUS

Confidence Family Foundation Nation World

He who goes to the bottom of his own heart knows his own nature; And knowing his own nature, he knows heaven.

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He who goes to the bottom of his own heart knows his own nature; And knowing his own nature, he knows heaven.

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