Mencius
Mencius
Mencius /ˈmɛnʃiəs/ or Mengzi Chinese: 孟子;was a Chinese philosopher who is the most famous Confucian after Confucius himself...
NationalityChinese
ProfessionPhilosopher
CountryChina
men water may
It is true that water will flow indifferently to east and west, but will it flow equally well up and down? Human nature is disposed toward goodness, just as water tends to flow downwards. There is no water but flows downwards, and no man but shows his tendency to be good. Now, by striking water hard, you may splash it higher than your forehead, and by damming it, you may make it go uphill. But, is that the nature of water? It is external force that causes it to do so. Likewise, if a man is made to do what is not good, his nature is being similarly forced.
friendship men doe
Friendship with a man is friendship with his virtue, and does not admit of assumptions of superiority.
exercise office heaven
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.
reality men evil
Mankind fears an evil man but heaven does not.
country strong weak
A small country cannot contend with a great; the few cannot contend with the many; the weak cannot contend with the strong
freedom hands mind
Secure property in hand leads to peace in mind.
warrior samurai martial-arts
I dislike death, however, there are some things I dislike more than death. Therefore, there are times when I will not avoid danger.
hands world treats
Treat your elders as elders, and extend it to the elders of others; treat your young ones as young ones, and extend it to the young ones of others; then you can turn the whole world in the palm of your hand
book believe would-be
One who believes all of a book would be better off without books
leadership men self
He who attends to his greater self becomes a great man, and he who attends to his smaller self becomes a small man.
friendship brother true-friend
Friends are the siblings God never gave us.
destiny heaven mind
Only those who develop their minds and spirits to the utmost can serve Heaven and fulfill their own destinies.
people feelings able
If you let people follow their feelings, they will be able to do good. This is what is meant by saying that human nature is good.
mind knows
He who exerts his mind to the utmost knows his nature