1. The benevolent are invincible.

Source: "Mencius, King Hui of Liang, Part 1"

Explanation: Those who pursue benevolent government are invincible in the world.

Appreciate Mencius' opposition to using punishment to govern the country. He believed that benevolent government is the best way to govern. People with benevolence are invincible in the world. Domestically, they can promote benevolence to bring peace to the people; For an individual, if he can cultivate benevolence, he will be able to convince the people of the world; for a country, if it pursues benevolent government, it can successfully govern both internally and externally. The way of governing a country taught by Mencius requires rulers to strive to implement benevolent governance, govern the country with virtue, and oppose punishment and killing.

2. The old and the old are like the old, the young and the young are like the young, and the world can be carried in the palm of the hand.

Source: "Mencius: King Hui of Liang"

Interpretation: Respecting the elders of one's own family extends to respecting the elders of other families; caring for the children of one's own family extends to caring for others Home children. (All political measures are based on this principle.) To rule the world is as easy as turning something in the hand.

Appreciation Mencius believed that a virtuous person can start from himself, starting from small things. When a virtuous person is in power, he can extend his kindness to the world. This is the promotion of benevolent government, which is similar to If you respect the old and love the young, you will be benevolent and kind-hearted and set out to formulate national policies, and it will be very easy to manage the world.

3. What is contrary to you is also contrary to you.

Source: "Mencius, King Hui of Liang"

Explanation: How you treat others, how others will treat you.

Appreciation This is a sentence in a conversation between Mencius and Zou Mugong. At that time, there was an armed fight at the border between Zou and Lu. Duke Mu of Zou asked Mencius: "My local officials have died 33 times, but none of the people are willing to die for the officials. If you want to kill these hateful people, you can't kill them all; if you don't kill them, you can stare at the officials like this." What do you think we should do if we die in battle without going to rescue?" Mencius replied: "In years of famine, some of your people starved to death by the ditches and roadsides, and thousands of young people fled in all directions. , but your granaries and treasury are full, but no local officials come to report to you. The behavior of these local officials is called "treating the king" to the serious famine situation of the people. Neglect and cruelty to the people! Zeng Zi said, "How you treat others will be treated in the same way." People do not get relief from the government in times of crisis, so only now do you have a chance to retaliate. The people will naturally love and protect their superiors and be willing to die for them."

4. I am good at cultivating my awe-inspiring spirit.

Source: "Mencius Gongsun Chou"

Explanation: I am good at cultivating my awe-inspiring spirit.

Appreciation Mencius was a great Confucian with a broad mind. He traveled around the world for a long time to promote his own ideas, to implement benevolent government in the world, to ask the rulers to protect the people, love the people, enjoy themselves with the people, and achieve the unification of the world. "Mencius Gongsun Chouxia" records his words: "If you want to bring peace to the world, in today's world, who else but me?" (If you want to bring peace to the world, in today's society, who else but me? ?) It is with this kind of mind that he can be tireless in promoting benevolent government and never change his aspirations and ideals even in the face of bad luck.

5. Out of its kind, outstanding.

Source: "Mencius Gongsun Chou"

Interpretation (sage) comes from the same kind of people, but is far superior to everyone.

Appreciation This is Mencius’ lofty praise to Confucius. Mencius believed that Confucius was an outstanding figure "out of his kind and outstanding" among human beings. "Since the beginning of the people, there has never been anyone as great as Confucius." He also said: "That's what I want, so I can learn from Confucius."

6. In today's world, who else can I do?

Source: "Mencius Gongsun Chouxia"

Explanation In today's world (if you want to rule the world peacefully), besides me, who else can do it?

Appreciation This is Mencius’ grand ambition and confident words. Both Confucius and Mencius were concerned about governing the world. Mencius made it clear on many occasions that he was eager to participate in the governance of the world. He said: "In five hundred years, a king will rise, and during this period there will be a famous person." This is his unique view of history. He believed that it had been more than 700 years since the founding of the Zhou Dynasty by King Wen and King Wu, and there should have been saint kings, and he could become a "famous" person, such as Yi Yin and Jiang Taigong. Therefore, he said: At present, if God does not want to bring peace to the world, then forget it; if God wants to bring peace to the world, "In today's world, there is no one else but me."

7. Either work hard, or work hard; those who work hard will govern people, and those who work hard will govern others. < /p>

People who perform management work and engage in manual labor are managed by others.

Appreciation This is what Mencius criticized the peasant theory. Xu Xing, a representative figure of peasant theory, advocated that "the sage cultivates and eats, and governs after eating", that is, the monarch and those in higher positions should farm with the peasants before they can eat; they should cook their own meals and manage state affairs at the same time.

Mencius opposed this view, exposed many absurdities of this view, and clarified its factual impossibility, thereby positively clarifying the inevitability, necessity and rationality of social division of labor.

8. Wealth and honor cannot lead to sexual immorality, poverty and lowliness cannot change, and power cannot yield. This is called a true man.

Source: "Mencius Tengwengong"

Explanation: When you are in wealth, you must not confuse your nature; when you are in poverty, you must not change your aspirations; when you are under power and force, And never grovel, which is contrary to morality. Only in this way can we be regarded as a true man.

Appreciation: Only when a person persists in his pursuit, insists on cultivating benevolence, does not change his ambitions and goals under any circumstances, and is perseverant and virtuous, can he be considered a true man. No matter whether you are rich or poor, you can't change your ideals and integrity. This is a real man.

9. If you don’t follow the rules, you can’t make a square or a circle.

Source: "Mencius Li Lou Shang"

Explanation If you don't use compasses and rulers, you cannot draw squares and circles correctly.

Appreciation Everything has its own basic requirements and norms. If these requirements and norms are violated, things cannot be done well. Only by complying with these rules can the work be completed successfully. If a craftsman does not use a circular ruler, he cannot draw the shape he wants well. Therefore, we must emphasize the importance and necessity of system and discipline. This philosophical saying has now been transformed into an idiom, which is "If you don't follow the rules, you won't be able to make a circle."

10. Those who abuse themselves cannot be talked to; those who give up on themselves cannot be talked to.

Source: "Mencius Li Lou Shang"

Interpretation: There is no need to have any valuable words with those who abuse oneself; there is no need to do anything worthwhile with those who abandon oneself. A worthy cause.

Appreciation Mencius believed that people who criticize "propriety" and "righteousness" in both mouth and mouth are the so-called self-violators; those who cannot adhere to the belief of "benevolence" and follow the norms of "righteousness" are so-called Give up on yourself. This formulation is different from our today's "self-destruction", but it is not divorced from the relationship with ideals, ambitions, and interests.

11. The trouble with people lies in being a teacher.

Source: "Mencius Li Lou Shang"

Explanation: The biggest shortcoming of people is that they like to be other people's teachers.

Appreciation: A person should be introverted and modest in character. People who love benevolence and are determined to cultivate virtue will never become complacent after achieving a little success. And those who are short-sighted will start to feel complacent and complacent as long as they gain a little bit. Mencius was very dissatisfied with such people and tried to ridicule them. Truly virtuous people study hard, work tirelessly day and night, and are not ashamed to ask questions. They do not have a fixed teacher, they only follow the good and are modest and prudent. Mencius respected people like them.

12. What will happen if you speak out about someone’s bad deeds?

Source: "Mencius Li Lou Xia"

Interpretation: If you love to speak ill of others, you should know what kind of bad consequences it will have, right?

Appreciation This is the principle that Mencius warned people that speaking evil will definitely lead to future troubles. Normally speaking, if a person has done something bad, he doesn't like others talking behind his back, so revenge is inevitable. Zhuangzi said: "Those who harm others will be punished in return." This is the truth.

13. Friendship is a virtue.

Source: "Mencius·Wan Zhang 2"

Interpretation: Making friends means making friends with his good character.

Appreciation This is what Mencius said. He believes that the most important way to make friends is to make friends with their virtues. Therefore, when making friends, you should not consider the power of the other person, but the moral character of the other person. This is the real way to make friends. The ancients believed that friends are one of the five moral relationships and an important interpersonal relationship outside the family. Fair-weather friends are unreliable. Therefore, the ancients said that "friends assist benevolence", which means that friends are here to assist one's benevolence. Therefore, it is not condescending to befriend a common man as an emperor, and it is not arrogant to befriend an emperor as a common man.

14. One day it is violent, ten days it is cold.

Source: "Mencius Gaozi 1"

Explanation (Even if there is the easiest thing to grow in the world) if you only expose it to the sun for one day, but freeze it for ten days (it will not grow) ).

Appreciation and analysis of Mencius, who warned people that no matter how they advance in morality or career, they need to be dedicated, have a beginning and an end, and must not stop working from time to time, or even work ten times a day, advance ten times a step back, which is what the proverb says, three days of fishing. , posted on the Internet for two days. If you spend less time studying and working and more time playing and relaxing, nothing will be accomplished.

15. Fish is what I want; bear paws are also what I want. You can't have both, it's like giving up the fish for the bear's paw.

Life is what I want; righteousness is what I want. You can't have both, you have to sacrifice your life for righteousness.

Source: "Mencius Gaozi 1"

Interpretation: Fish is what I want to get; bear's paw is also what I want to get. If you can't have both, give up the fish and take the bear's paw. Life is what I want; justice is what I want. If you cannot get both at the same time, then sacrifice your life for justice.

Appreciation: A gentleman is guided by benevolence and righteousness. Only benevolence, righteousness and morality can truly move him. Therefore, when morality is at stake, a gentleman sacrifices his life for justice. Life is insignificant in terms of morality. Without benevolence, truth, goodness and beauty, and justice, life is just a stinky bag, a walking corpse, and has no meaning at all.

Therefore, the choice between life and death, righteousness and profit determines the level of a person's character, and one should indeed be cautious.

16. Born in sorrow and died in happiness.

Source: "Mencius Gaozi Xia"

Explanation: Survive in sorrow and die in peace and happiness.

Appreciation This is a famous saying by Mencius. He believes that personally, many famous figures in history have experienced hardships and hardships, and achieved great things with their indomitable will; as a country, if there are endless loyal and wise ministers at home, they will be invincible abroad. You can worry about foreign troubles. If you only know how to enjoy peace and security, but do not know that danger is coming, your country will be permanently destroyed. It can be seen that those who have a strong sense of worry and can work hard can survive, develop and grow; while those who are greedy for ease and enjoyment without making progress will lead to decline. This is the law of historical evolution.

17. Obtaining the world’s talents and educating them are the three joys.

Source: "Mencius: Devoting Your Heart"

Interpretation: Obtaining young people with good talents and virtues in the world and educating them to become talents is the third pleasure of life.

Appreciate the "three joys" mentioned by Mencius, which means "having parents and brothers without any reason is one joy; looking up to heaven and not being ashamed of others, being humble and not being cowardly to others are two joys; being able to win the world's talents Education is the three pleasures. These three pleasures are “the pleasure of being a human being”: one is the pleasure of family relationships, the other is the pleasure of being a person with “righteousness”, and the other is the pleasure of being a teacher. The joy of being a teacher is a deep joy in life. He believes that these three pleasures of a gentleman's life are greater than the pleasure of being king of the world.

18. If you are poor, you can be good for yourself; if you are prosperous, you can help the world.

From "Mencius: Try Your Heart"

Explanation: When you are in trouble and have no ambition, you should practice alone to protect yourself; when you are proud, you can use it. The whole world will benefit.

Appreciation This is the traditional Confucian thought of self-cultivation. Historically, Chinese scholar-bureaucrats often encouraged themselves to start from themselves, strive to seek inner goodness, and improve their own personality. , and then promote benevolence and righteousness to the world, benefiting people all over the world. This attitude towards life reflects the shining personality of traditional Chinese literati and leads the scholars of the new era to seek the perfection of personality.

19 .To fully believe in the "Book" is worse than not having the "Book"

Source: "Mencius·Jin Xin Xia"

Interpretation If you completely believe in the "Book of Documents", it is better to not have the "Book of Documents" at all. .

The "book" in this sentence has become widespread today, and it does not specifically refer to "Book of Changes". We read in order to seek the true meaning of it and to serve real life. If you completely believe what the book says and let the book lead you, you will become a slave to the book and become a "learner". Therefore, when reading, you must not only be able to read into the book, but also be able to read out of the book. Theory is connected with practice.

20. Benevolence is a human being, and in a nutshell, it is a Tao.

Source: "Mencius·Jinxinxia"

Explanation: A person with a benevolent heart is a human being. Combining benevolent heart with people becomes the way to be a human being.

Appreciation Mencius here regards benevolent heart as the fundamental attribute of human beings, that is to say, human beings. The difference between human beings and animals lies in the difference between benevolence and unkindness. He pointed out that "benevolence" is the original intention of human beings. Therefore, "benevolence" exists for people. Without "benevolence", people are close to animals; on the contrary, benevolence. , and it is not impossible for people to implement and embody it. Therefore, benevolence and human beings are the basic principles of life.

The purpose of Confucius and Mencius is to cultivate oneself and govern others, that is, to cultivate oneself and be harmonious. In terms of running a family, governing a country, and bringing peace to the world, one must be a person with lofty ideals; in terms of governing a country, one must implement benevolent government, that is, virtuous government. All of these are based on "benevolence" and promote it, which is the core of Confucianism.