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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.

Mencius

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

Alone Enough Exercise Government Law Practice Virtue
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
Secure property in hand leads to peace in mind.
MENCIUS

Freedom Hands Mindset One Liner Security
Truth uttered before its time is dangerous.
MENCIUS

Honesty Time Truth
Sincerity is the way to heaven.
MENCIUS

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

Character Existence Men Shame
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
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
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

Goodness Human Humanity Men Nature Water
A man must first despise himself, and then others will despise him.
MENCIUS

Hate Men
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
Only when someone refuses to do certain things will he be capable of doing great things.
MENCIUS

Capability Greatness Inspirational
He who exerts his mind to the utmost knows his nature.
MENCIUS

Himself Mind Nature
All things are already complete in us. There is no greater delight than to be conscious of right within us. If one strives to treat others as he would be treated by them, he shall not fail to come near the perfect life.
MENCIUS

Divine Failure Perfection Philosophy Right
He who attends to his greater self becomes a great man, and he who attends to his smaller self becomes a small man.
MENCIUS

Leadership Men Spirituality

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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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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Popular Authors

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