Mencius Quotes

47 Sourced Quotes

If the king loves music, there is little wrong in the land.

Mencius
The great man is the one who does not lose his [originally good] child's heart.

Mencius
All things are already complete in oneself. There is no greater joy than to examine oneself and be sincere. When in one's conduct one vigorously exercises altruism, humanity is not far to seek, but right by him.

Mencius
The path of duty lies in what is near, and man seeks for it in what is remote.

Mencius
There is no attribute of the superior man greater than his helping men to practice virtue.

Mencius
The great end of learning is nothing else but to seek for the lost mind.

Mencius
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
Friendship with a man is friendship with his virtue, and does not admit of assumptions of superiority.

Mencius
It is useless to talk to those who do violence to their own nature, and it is useless to do anything with those who throw themselves away. To speak what is against propriety and righteousness is to do violence to oneself. To say that one cannot abide by humanity and follow righteousness is to throw oneself away.

Mencius
All men have in themselves that which is truly honorable. Only they do not think of it.

Mencius
Moral principles please our minds as beef and mutton and pork please our mouths.

Mencius
If you know that [a] thing is unrighteous, then use all dispatch in putting an end to it—why wait till next year?

Mencius
To give the throne to another man would be easy; to find a man who shall benefit the kingdom is difficult.

Mencius
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
The root of the kingdom is in the state. The root of the state is in the family. The root of the family is in the person of its head.

Mencius
The way of learning is none other than finding the lost mind.

Mencius
If a scholar have not faith [in his principles], how shall he take a firm hold of things?

Mencius
A man must first despise himself, and then others will despise him.

Mencius
Never has there been one possessed of complete sincerity who did not move others. Never has there been one who had not sincerity who was able to move others.

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

Mencius
If the prince of a State love benevolence, he will have no opponent in all the empire.

Mencius
The regular path of virtue is to be pursued without any bend, and from no view to emolument.

Mencius
Listen to a man's words and look at the pupil of his eye. How can a man conceal his character?

Mencius
Heaven sees as the people see. Heaven hears as the people hear.

Mencius
The feeling of commiseration is the beginning of humanity; the feeling of shame and dislike is the beginning of righteousness; the feeling of deference and compliance is the beginning of propriety; and the feeling of right or wrong is the beginning of wisdom.
Men have these Four Beginnings just as they have their four limbs. Having these Four Beginnings, but saying that they cannot develop them is to destroy themselves.

Mencius
The compass and square produce perfect circles and squares. By the sages, the human relations are perfectly exhibited.

Mencius
Never has a man who has bent himself been able to make others straight.

Mencius
From the feelings proper to it, [man's nature] is constituted for the practice of what is good.

Mencius
The tendency of man's nature to good is like the tendency of water to flow downwards.

Mencius
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

Mencius