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Virtue alone is not sufficient for the exercise of government; laws alone cannot carry themselves into practice.

Mencius

A man must first despise himself, and then others will despise him.
MENCIUS

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

Path View Virtue
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 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

Inspirational Men Simplicity Thinking
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
Those who follow the part of themselves which is great are great men; those who follow the part which is little are little men.
MENCIUS

Greatness Men
The people turn in allegiance to Humanity, as surely as water flows downward or as a wild animal takes cover in the wilderness.
MENCIUS

Animal Humanity People Water Wild
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
He who exerts his mind to the utmost knows his nature.
MENCIUS

Himself Mind Nature
Friends are the siblings God never gave us.
MENCIUS

Friendship God
The best things in life come in threes, like friends, dreams, and memories.
MENCIUS

Dream Friendship Life Material Memories
The Tao is near and people seek it far away.
MENCIUS

Effort People Spiritual
Friendship is one mind in two bodies.
MENCIUS

Body Friendship Oneself
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
Friendship with a man is friendship with his virtue, and does not admit of assumptions of superiority.
MENCIUS

Character Friendship Men

Virtue alone is not sufficient for the exercise of government; laws alone cannot carry themselves into practice.

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Virtue alone is not sufficient for the exercise of government; laws alone cannot carry themselves into practice.

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