Discover a wealth of wisdom and insight from Mencius through their most impactful and thought-provoking quotes and sayings. Expand your perspective with their inspiring words and share these beautiful Mencius quote pictures with your friends and followers on social media platforms like Facebook, Twitter, or your personal blog - all free of charge. We've compiled the top 131 Mencius quotes for you to explore and share with others.

He who goes to the bottom of his own heart knows his own nature; And knowing his own nature, he knows heaven. By Mencius Nature Heaven Bottom Heart Knowing

When Heaven is about to confer a great office on a man, it first exercises his mind with suffering, and his sinews and bones with toil ; it exposes his body to hunger, and subjects him to extreme poverty ; it confounds his undertakings. By all these methods it stimulates his mind, hardens his nature, and supplies his incompetencies. By Mencius Heaven Mind Man Suffering Toil

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. By Mencius Water Flow Nature West True

By exhaustively examining one's own mind,one may understand his nature.One who understands his own nature understands Heaven. By Mencius Heaven Understands Exhaustively Examining Mindone

So it is that whenever Heaven invests a person with great responsibilities, it first tries his resolve, exhausts his muscles and bones, starves his body, leaves him destitute, and confound his every endeavor. In this way his patience and endurance are developed, and his weaknesses are overcome. We change and grow only when we make mistakes. We realize what to do only when we work through worry and confusion. And we gain people's trust and understanding only when our inner thoughts are revealed clearly in our faces and words. By Mencius Heaven Responsibilities Resolve Exhausts Bones

When I say that all men have the mind which cannot bear to see the suffering of others, my meaning is illustrated this way: when two men suddenly see a child about to fall into a well, they all have a feeling of alarm and distress, not to gain friendship with the child's parents, nor to seek the praise of their neighbors and friends. From such a case, we see that a man without the feeling of commiseration is not a man. The feeling of commiseration is the beginning of humanity. By Mencius Feeling Men Child Distress Parents

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. By Mencius Feeling Beginning Beginnings Humanity Righteousness

The heart of compassion is the germ of benevolence; the heart of shame, of dutifulness; the heart of courtesy and modesty, of observance of the rites; the heart of right and wrong, of wisdom. Man has these four germs just as he has four limbs. For a man possessing these four germs to deny his own potentialities is for him to cripple himself. By Mencius Heart Germs Benevolence Shame Dutifulness

The best things in life come in threes, like friends, dreams, and memories. By Mencius Dreams Friends Memories Things Life

There are people dying from famine on the roads, and you do not issue the stores of your granaries for them. When people die, you say, 'it is not owing to me, it is owing to the year.' In what does this differ from stabbing a man and killing him, and then saying, 'it was not I, it was the weapon? By Mencius Roads People Dying Famine Issue

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

The way of truth is like a great highway. It is not hard to find. By Mencius Highway Truth Great Find Hard

Benevolence is one of the distinguishing characters of man. By Mencius Benevolence Man Distinguishing Characters

The path of duty lies in what is near, and men seek for it in what is remote; the work of duty lies in what is easy, and men seek for it in what is difficult. By Mencius Duty Lies Men Seek Remote

Let men decide firmly what they will not do, and they will be free to do vigorously what they ought to do. By Mencius Men Decide Firmly Free Vigorously

Charity is in the heart of man, and righteousness in the path of men. Pity the man who has lost his path and does not follow it and who has lost his heart and does not know how to recover it. When people's dogs and chicks are lost they go out and look for them and yet the people who have lost their hearts do not go out and look for them. The principle of self-cultivation consists in nothing but trying to look for the lost heart. By Mencius Lost Heart Man Path Charity

A great man is one who has not lost the child's heart. By Mencius Heart Great Man Lost Child

Human nature is disposed to do good. By Mencius Human Good Nature Disposed

Words that defy reality are ominous. And it's ominous reality that confronts those who would obscure the wise and worthy. By Mencius Words Reality Ominous Defy Worthy

With melted snow I boil fragrant tea. By Mencius Tea Melted Snow Boil Fragrant

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. By Mencius Called Outrages Ruffian Villain Benevolence

Never lose your child's heart. By Mencius Heart Lose Child

The great man is he who does not lose his child's heart By Mencius Heart Great Man Lose Child

Getting something done is like digging a well. You can dig a well seventy feet deep, but if you don't hit water it's just an abandoned well. By Mencius Digging Deep Dig Seventy Feet

The great person never loses a childlike spirit. By Mencius Spirit Great Person Loses Childlike

A man must not be without shame, for the shame of being without shame is shamelessness indeed. By Mencius Shame Man Shamelessness

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. By Mencius Love Treat Cattle Feed Men

All beneath Heaven is rooted in nation. Nation is rooted in family. And family is rooted in self. By Mencius Rooted Heaven Nation Beneath Family

Without effective protection of the citizens' right to property, it will be difficult to attract and accumulate valuable capital. By Mencius Property Capital Effective Protection Citizens

I dislike death, however, there are some things I dislike more than death. Therefore, there are times when I will not avoid danger. By Mencius Death Dislike Things Danger Times

I understand what lies hidden beneath beguiling words. I understand the trap beneath extravagant words. I understand the deceit beneath depraved words. And I understand the weariness beneath evasive words. By Mencius Understand Words Beneath Lies Hidden

Filling with food,Warming with clothes,Living leisurely without learning,It is little short of animals. By Mencius Filling Animals Foodwarming Clothesliving Leisurely

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. By Mencius Fruit Parents Humanity Devotion Grow

Human-heartedness is man's mind. Righteousness is man's path. How sad that he abandons that path and does not rely on it; that he loses that mind and does not know to seek it. When a man has lost a cock or a dog, he knows to seek it, but having lost his (proper) mind, he does not know to seek it. The Way of Learning is nothing other than seeking the lost mind By Mencius Seek Man Mind Humanheartedness Lost

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. By Mencius Understanding Investigation Leads Multitude Act

Treat others as you would be treated. Devote yourself to that, for there's no more direct approach to Humanity. By Mencius Treat Treated Humanity Devote Direct

Friends are the siblings God never gave us By Mencius God Friends Siblings Gave

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. By Mencius Things Complete Life Greater Delight

Try your best to treat others as you would wish to be treated yourself, and you will find that this is the shortest way to benevolence By Mencius Benevolence Treat Treated Find Shortest

Make your learning abundant and speak of it with precision, then you will speak of essentials. By Mencius Speak Make Precision Essentials Learning

Those who follow the part of themselves which is great are great men; those who follow the part which is little are little men. By Mencius Follow Men Part Great

People can have a long-term life plan only if they know their private property is secure. By Mencius People Secure Longterm Life Plan

Only when there are things a man will not do is he capable of doing great things. By Mencius Things Man Capable Great

Only when a man will not do some things is he capable of doing great things. By Mencius Things Man Capable Great

The foundation of the world lies in the nation. The foundation of the nation lies in the family. The foundation of the family lies in the individual. By Mencius Foundation Lies Nation World Family

That's like climbing a tree to find a fish. By Mencius Fish Climbing Tree Find

He who loves others is constantly loved by them. He who respects others is constantly respected by them. By Mencius Constantly Loves Loved Respects Respected

He who respects others is respected by them. By Mencius Respects Respected

He who wishes to be benevolent will not be rich. By Mencius Rich Wishes Benevolent

All people have the common desire to be elevated in honour, but all people have something still more elevated in themselves without knowing it. By Mencius People Elevated Honour Common Desire

He who exerts his mind to the utmost knows his nature By Mencius Nature Exerts Mind Utmost

Only those who develop their minds and spirits to the utmost can serve Heaven and fulfill their own destinies. By Mencius Heaven Destinies Develop Minds Spirits

If the prince of a State love benevolence, he will have no opponent in all the empire. By Mencius State Benevolence Empire Prince Love

A trail through the mountains, if used, becomes a path in a short time, but, if unused, becomes blocked by grass in an equally short time. By Mencius Time Short Mountains Unused Trail

221. "Great is the man who has not lost his childlike heart."~ By Mencius Great Heart Man Lost Childlike

A great man is he who has not lost the heart of a child. By Mencius Child Great Man Lost Heart

The feeling of right or wrong is the beginning of wisdom By Mencius Wisdom Feeling Wrong Beginning

When one by force subdues men, they do not submit to him in heart. They submit because their strength is not adequate to resist. By Mencius Men Heart Submit Force Subdues

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. By Mencius Grains Plants Ripe Cockles Kinds

If you know the point of balance, You can settle the details. If you can settle the details, You can stop running around. Your mind will become calm. If your mind becomes calm, You can think in front of a tiger. If you can think in front of a tiger, You will surely succeed. By Mencius Details Settle Balance Calm Point

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. By Mencius Evil Good Exists Glorify Time

The way of learning is none other than finding the lost mind. By Mencius Mind Learning Finding Lost

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 By Mencius Treat Young Extend Elders Hand

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. By Mencius Men Decided Act Vigor

The people are the most important element in a nation; the spirits of the land and grain are the next; the sovereign is the least. By Mencius Nation People Important Element Spirits

The myriad things are complete in us. There is no greater joy than to reflect on ourselves and become sincere. By Mencius Myriad Things Complete Sincere Greater

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. By Mencius Work Labor Men Minds Strength

Virtue alone is not sufficient for the exercise of government; laws alone cannot carry themselves into practice. By Mencius Virtue Government Laws Practice Sufficient

The way is One and only One. The way is close at hand, but men seek it afar. By Mencius Hand Afar Close Men Seek

Is it only the mouth and belly which are injured by hunger and thirst? Men's minds are also injured by them. By Mencius Thirst Injured Mouth Belly Hunger

It's simple: To say anything about the nature of things, you must attend to the facts, facts in their original form. The trouble with knowledge is that it keeps chiseling things away. By Mencius Facts Simple Form Things Nature

If the King loves music, it is well with the land. By Mencius King Music Land Loves

If Confucius wasn't born, the long night would have no bright lamp. By Mencius Confucius Born Lamp Long Night

There's only one way to know if people are good or evil: look at the choices they make. We each contain precious and worthless, great and small. Never injure the great for the sake of the small, or the precious for the sake of the worthless. Small people nurture what is small in them; great people nurture what is great in them. By Mencius Great Small People Evil Make

There is no greater delight than to be conscious of sincerity on self-examination. By Mencius Selfexamination Greater Delight Conscious Sincerity

The people turn in allegiance to Humanity, as surely as water flows downward or as a wild animal takes cover in the wilderness. By Mencius Humanity Wilderness People Turn Allegiance

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. By Mencius Sincere Resolute Great Man Words

Sincerity is the way to heaven; to think how to be sincere is the way of man. By Mencius Sincerity Heaven Man Sincere

Don't do what should not be done, and don't desire what should not be desired. Abide by this one precept, and everything else will follow. By Mencius Desired Desire Abide Precept Follow

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. By Mencius Good Feelings People Follow Meant

If you know that a thing is unrighteous, then use all dispatch in putting an end to itwhy wait till next year? By Mencius Unrighteous Year Thing Dispatch Putting

The Tao is near and people seek it far away. By Mencius Tao People Seek

To lay hold of the mean without taking into account the occasion is like grasping one thing only. By Mencius Lay Hold Taking Account Occasion

The feeling of compassion is the beginning of humanity. By Mencius Humanity Feeling Compassion Beginning

All tongues savor the same flavors, all ears hear the same music, and all eyes see the same beauty. By Mencius Flavors Music Beauty Tongues Savor

The regular path of virtue is to be pursued without any bend, and from no view to emolument. By Mencius Bend Emolument Regular Path Virtue

He who attends to his greater self becomes a great man, and he who attends to his smaller self becomes a small man. By Mencius Attends Man Greater Great Smaller

I like fish, and I also like bear's paws. If I cannot have the two together, I will let the fish go, and take the bear's paws. So, I like life, and I also like righteousness. If I cannot keep the two together, I will let life go, and choose righteousness. By Mencius Paws Bear Fish Righteousness Life

Friendship with a man is friendship with his virtue. By Mencius Friendship Virtue Man

The tendency of mans nature to good is like the tendency of water to flow downward. By Mencius Tendency Downward Mans Nature Good

Sincerity is the way to Heaven. By Mencius Heaven Sincerity

The way is near, but men seek it afar. It is in easy things, but men seek for it in difficult things. By Mencius Men Afar Seek Things Easy

Where it is permissible both to die and not to die, it is an abuse of valour to die. By Mencius Die Permissible Abuse Valour

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. By Mencius Sincerity Move Possessed Complete

People are distressed by their inability to do it. The problem, however, is simply that they don't do it. By Mencius People Distressed Inability Problem Simply

Incessant falls teach men to reform, and distress rouses their strength. Life springs from calamity, and death from ease. By Mencius Incessant Reform Strength Falls Teach

It is not difficult to govern. All one has to do is not to offend the noble families. By Mencius Govern Difficult Families Offend Noble

For nurturing the mind, there's nothing like paring your desires away to a very few. If you have few desires, there may still be some capricious whims in your mind, but they'll be few. If you have many desires, there may be some enduring principles in your mind, but they'll be few indeed. By Mencius Mind Desires Nurturing Paring Capricious

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. By Mencius Indifferently Flow Tendency Water West

Truth uttered before its time is dangerous. By Mencius Truth Dangerous Uttered Time

People are eager to comment on something when they themselves are not in the situation of doing it. By Mencius People Eager Comment Situation

The disease of men is that they neglect their own fields and go to weed the fields of others. By Mencius Fields Disease Men Neglect Weed

There is a power in everything; it is the job of the artist to determine it and express it. By Mencius Power Job Artist Determine Express

Secure property in hand leads to peace in mind. By Mencius Secure Mind Property Hand Leads

A small country cannot contend with a great; the few cannot contend with the many; the weak cannot contend with the strong By Mencius Contend Great Strong Small Country

One who believes all of a book would be better off without books By Mencius Book Books

Human nature is good, just as water seeks low ground. There is no man who is not good, just as there is no water that does not flow downward. By Mencius Good Human Ground Water Nature

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. By Mencius Men Love Unfriendly Unruly Wisdom

A real man is he whose goodness is a part of himself. By Mencius Real Man Goodness Part

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. By Mencius Road Truth Great Difficult Evil

Only when someone refuses to do certain things will he be capable of doing great things. By Mencius Things Refuses Capable Great

All things are complete within ourselves. By Mencius Things Complete

Let not a man do what his sense of right bids him not to do, nor desire what it forbids him to desire. This is sufficient. The skillful artist will not alter his measures for the sake of a stupid workman. By Mencius Desire Man Sense Bids Forbids

Truth uttered before its time is always dangerous. By Mencius Truth Dangerous Uttered Time

If someone stops where they should not, they'll stop anywhere. If someone slights a person they should treat generously, they'll slight anyone. And if someone races ahead, they retreat in a hurry. By Mencius Stops Stop Generously Person Treat

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

The man of true greatness never loses his child's heart. By Mencius Heart Man True Greatness Loses

In abundance prepare for scarcity. By Mencius Scarcity Abundance Prepare

Never has a man who has bent himself been able to make others straight. By Mencius Straight Man Bent Make

Every duty is a charge, but the charge of oneself is the root of all others. By Mencius Charge Duty Oneself Root

If the king loves music, there is little wrong in the land. By Mencius Music Land King Loves Wrong

I am not fond of disputation; I have no alternative. By Mencius Disputation Alternative Fond

The ways are two: love and want of love. That is all. By Mencius Love

The Way lies at hand yet it is sought afar off; the thing lies in the easy yet it is sought in the difficult. By Mencius Sought Lies Difficult Hand Afar

Heaven sees as the people see. Heaven hears as the people hear. By Mencius Heaven People Hears Hear

The poor attend to their own virtue in solitude. By Mencius Solitude Poor Attend Virtue

The sole concern of learning is to seek one's original heart. By Mencius Heart Sole Concern Learning Seek

Kindly words do not enter so deeply into men as a reputation for kindness. By Mencius Kindly Kindness Words Enter Deeply

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. By Mencius Root State Kingdom Family Head

Mankind fears an evil man but heaven does not. By Mencius Mankind Fears Evil Man Heaven

The gap between enthusiasm and indifference is filled with failures. The great man is he that does not lose his child's heart. By Mencius Failures Gap Enthusiasm Indifference Filled