Mencius Quotes on Virtue
Mengzi, conventionally known in the West as Mencius, was a Chinese Confucian philosopher of the fourth century BC, traditionally regarded as the second sage of the Confucian tradition after Confucius himself. This page collects quotes attributed to Mencius on the topic of virtue, drawn from across the philosopher's works.
Quotes
-
Attributed to Mencius:
“The great man is he who does not lose his child's-heart.”
-
Attributed to Mencius:
“If you love others and they don't love you, look at your own benevolence.”
-
Attributed to Mencius:
“All things are already complete in oneself.”
-
Attributed to Mencius:
“Benevolence is man's heart, righteousness is man's path.”
-
Attributed to Mencius:
“The feeling of compassion is the beginning of benevolence; the feeling of shame is the beginning of righteousness; the feeling of deference is the beginning of propriety; the feeling of right and wrong is the beginning of wisdom.”
-
Attributed to Mencius:
“Try the difficult things while they are easy; do the great things while they are small.”