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The Tao is near and people seek it far away.

Mencius

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
A real man is he whose goodness is a part of himself.
MENCIUS

Goodness Man Reality
The Way lies at hand yet it is sought afar off; the thing lies in the easy yet it is sought in the difficult.
MENCIUS

Difficult Hands Lying Warrior
One who believes all of a book would be better off without books.
MENCIUS

Believe Book
Where it is permissible both to die and not to die, it is an abuse of valour to die.
MENCIUS

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

Capability Greatness Inspirational
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 feeling of compassion is the beginning of humanity.
MENCIUS

Compassion Feeling Humanity
Sincerity is the way to heaven; to think how to be sincere is the way of man.
MENCIUS

Heaven Men Thinking
The best things in life come in threes, like friends, dreams, and memories.
MENCIUS

Dream Friendship Life Material Memories
People are eager to comment on something when they themselves are not in the situation of doing it.
MENCIUS

Advice People Talk
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
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
So I like life and I like righteousness; if I cannot keep the two together, I will let life go and choose righteousness.
MENCIUS

Choice Justice Right Togetherness
A man must first despise himself, and then others will despise him.
MENCIUS

Hate Men
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 Tao is near and people seek it far away.

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The Tao is near and people seek it far away.

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