“Friendship is one mind in two bodies.””
Quotes by Mencius
“With melted snow I boil fragrant tea.””
“The great man is he who does not lose his child's heart””
“Only when there are things a man will not do is he capable of doing great things.””
“[I]n many ways nonsense is a more effective organizing tool than the truth. Anyone can believe in the truth. To believe in nonsense is an unforgeable demonstration of loyalty. It serves as a political uniform. And if you have a uniform, you have an army.””
“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.””
“Integrity, wisdom, skill, intelligence – such things are forged in adversity.””
“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.””
Mencius, a prominent Chinese philosopher during the Warring States period, was a key figure in the Confucian tradition and is often regarded as the 'second sage' of Confucianism, following Confucius h...