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A small country cannot contend with a great; the few cannot contend with the many; the weak cannot contend with the strong.

Mencius

The sole concern of learning is to seek one’s original heart.
MENCIUS

Heart Learning Seek
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
I dislike death, however, there are some things I dislike more than death. Therefore, there are times when I will not avoid danger.
MENCIUS

Avoid Danger Death Myself
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
Friends are the siblings God never gave us.
MENCIUS

Friendship God
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
Incessant falls teach men to reform, and distress rouses their strength. Life springs from calamity, and death from ease.
MENCIUS

Born Fall Men Philosophy Spirituality Spring
He who loves others is constantly loved by them. He who respects others is constantly respected by them.
MENCIUS

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

Hate Men
Benevolence is one of the distinguishing characters of man.
MENCIUS

Character Kindness Men
Evil exists to glorify the good. Evil is negative good. It is a relative term. Evil can be transmuted into good. What is evil to one at one time, becomes good at another time to somebody else.
MENCIUS

Deep Evil Goodness Negative Perspective Philosophy Spiritual
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
Where it is permissible both to die and not to die, it is an abuse of valour to die.
MENCIUS

Death Freedom
Sincerity is the way to heaven; to think how to be sincere is the way of man.
MENCIUS

Heaven Men Thinking
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
There is a power in everything; it is the job of the artist to determine it and express it.
MENCIUS

Artist Job Power

A small country cannot contend with a great; the few cannot contend with the many; the weak cannot contend with the strong.

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A small country cannot contend with a great; the few cannot contend with the many; the weak cannot contend with the strong.

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Popular Authors

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