Every duty is a charge, but the charge of oneself is the root of all others.
MENCIUSBy exhaustively examining one’s own mind,one may understand his nature. One who understands his own nature understands Heaven.
More Mencius Quotes
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Is it only the mouth and belly which are injured by hunger and thirst? Men’s minds are also injured by them.
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There is no greater delight than to be conscious of sincerity on self-examination.
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The myriad things are complete in us. There is no greater joy than to reflect on ourselves and become sincere.
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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.
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Incessant falls teach men to reform, and distress rouses their strength. Life springs from calamity, and death from ease.
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He who exerts his mind to the utmost knows his nature.
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Human nature is disposed to do good.
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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.
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The disease of men is that they neglect their own fields and go to weed the fields of others.
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He who attends to his greater self becomes a great man, and he who attends to his smaller self becomes a small man.
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If the King loves music, it is well with the land.
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The great man is he who does not lose his child’s heart.
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It is not difficult to govern. All one has to do is not to offend the noble families.
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Only when someone refuses to do certain things will he be capable of doing great things.
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The feeling of compassion is the beginning of humanity.
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Sincerity is the way to heaven; to think how to be sincere is the way of man.
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Friends are the siblings God never gave us.
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Heaven sees as the people see. Heaven hears as the people hear.
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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.
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Mankind fears an evil man but heaven does not.
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A real man is he whose goodness is a part of himself.
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Secure property in hand leads to peace in mind.
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Those who follow the part of themselves which is great are great men; those who follow the part which is little are little men.
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So I like life and I like righteousness; if I cannot keep the two together, I will let life go and choose righteousness.
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Truth uttered before its time is dangerous.
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He who wishes to be benevolent will not be rich.
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