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To lay hold of the mean without taking into account the occasion is like grasping one thing only.

Mencius

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Mencius
Philosopher
Writer
Zhulou
Meng Ke
ሜንግዙ
Meng-tze
Thing
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Taking
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Virtue alone is not sufficient for the exercise of government laws alone cannot carry themselves into practice.
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Only those who develop their minds and spirits to the utmost can serve Heaven and fulfill their own destinies.
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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.
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The Tao is near and people seek it far away.
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Friendship is one mind in two bodies.
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The great man is he who does not lose his child's heart.
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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.
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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.
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When one by force subdues men, they do not submit to him in heart. They submit because their strength is not adequate to resist.
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Incessant falls teach men to reform, and distress rouses their strength. Life springs from calamity, and death from ease.
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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.
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Friends are the siblings God never gave us.
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A great man is one who has not lost the child's heart.
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The way is near, but men seek it afar. It is in easy things, but men seek for it in difficult things.
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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.
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Heaven sees as the people see. Heaven hears as the people hear.
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The Way lies at hand yet it is sought afar off the thing lies in the easy yet it is sought in the difficult.
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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.
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The sole concern of learning is to seek one's original heart.
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He who exerts his mind to the utmost knows his nature.
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