Mencius
All people have the common desire to be elevated in honour, but all people have something still more elevated in themselves without knowing it.Collection: Knowing
The regular path of virtue is to be pursued without any bend, and from no view to emolument.Collection: Views
Those who follow the part of themselves which is great are great men; those who follow the part which is little are little men.Collection: Men
The five kinds of grains are considered good plants, but if the grains are not ripe, they are worse than cockles. It is the same with regard to kindness, which must grow into maturity.Collection: Kindness
Water indeed will flow indifferently to the east or west, but will it flow indifferently up or down? The tendency of our nature to good is like the tendency of water to flow downwards. There are none but have this tendency to good, just as all water flows downward.Collection: Water
The people turn in allegiance to Humanity, as surely as water flows downward or as a wild animal takes cover in the wilderness.Collection: Animal
He who outrages benevolence is called a ruffian: he who outrages righteousness is called a villain. I have heard of the cutting off of the villain Chow, but I have not heard of the putting of a ruler to death.Collection: Cutting
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.Collection: Evil
Listen to a man's words and look at the pupil of his eye. How can a man conceal his character?Collection: Character
He who exerts his mind to the utmost knows his nature.Collection: Mind
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.Collection: Moving
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.Collection: Men
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.Collection: People
A man must first despise himself, and then others will despise him.Collection: Men
If you love men and they are unfriendly, look into your love; if you rule men and they are unruly, look into your wisdom; if you are courteous to them and they do not respond, look into your courtesy. If what you do is vain, always seek within.Collection: Wisdom
Where it is permissible both to die and not to die, it is an abuse of valour to die.Collection: Death
The ways are two: love and want of love. That is all.Collection: Compassion
To feed men and not to love them is to treat them as if they were barnyard cattle. To love them and not respect them is to treat them as if they were household pets.Collection: Freedom
Never lose your child's heart.Collection: Children
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.Collection: Men
There is the work of great men and there is the work of little men. Therefore it is said, 'Some labor with their minds and some labor with their strength. Those who labor with their minds govern others; those who labor with their strength are governed by others.'1 Those who are governed by others support them; those who govern them are supported by them. This is a universal principle.Collection: Men
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.Collection: Exercise
Sincerity is the way to heaven; to think how to be sincere is the way of man.Collection: Men
The Way lies at hand yet it is sought afar off; the thing lies in the easy yet it is sought in the difficult.Collection: Lying
So I like life and I like righteousness; if I cannot keep the two together, I will let life go and choose righteousness.Collection: Two
The way of truth is like a great highway. It is not hard to find.Collection: Way
The Tao is near and people seek it far away.Collection: People
Only those who develop their minds and spirits to the utmost can serve Heaven and fulfill their own destinies.Collection: Destiny
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.Collection: Men
A man must not be without shame, for the shame of being without shame is shamelessness indeed.Collection: Men
Sincerity is the way to heaven.Collection: Reality
In abundance prepare for scarcity.Collection: Money
The gap between enthusiasm and indifference is filled with failures. The great man is he that does not lose his child's heart.Collection: Children
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.Collection: Men
The fruit of humanity is devotion to one's parents. The fruit of righteousness is to respect one's elders. The fruit of wisdom is to understand these two and not to betray them. The fruit of propriety is to regulate and polish them. The fruit of music is the joy that comes from rejoicing in them. When one rejoices in them, they grow. When they grow, how can they be stopped? And when they cannot be stopped, unconsciously one's feet begin to dance and one's arms begin to wave.Collection: Two
If the King loves music, it is well with the land.Collection: Music
He who loves others is always loved by them, and he who respects others is always respected by them.Collection: Respect
When one by force subdues men, they do not submit to him in heart. They submit because their strength is not adequate to resist.Collection: Heart
The myriad things are complete in us. There is no greater joy than to reflect on ourselves and become sincere.Collection: Happiness
The way of learning is none other than finding the lost mind.Collection: Mind
A real man is he whose goodness is a part of himself.Collection: Real
The way is near, but men seek it afar. It is in easy things, but men seek for it in difficult things.Collection: Men
Friendship with a man is friendship with his virtue, and does not admit of assumptions of superiority.Collection: Friendship
A great man is one who has not lost the child's heart.Collection: Christian
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.Collection: Perfect
All things are complete within ourselves.Collection: Perfection
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 handCollection: Hands
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.Collection: Inspirational