In the Confucian tradition, Confucius and Mencius always go hand in hand. There are great saints and lesser saints. There is both "The Analects" and "Mencius". Confucius said "to become benevolent", Mencius said "to obtain righteousness", and their purposes have always been consistent. "Historical Records" says: "Mencius prefaced the poem and described the meaning of Zhongni." Feng Youlan, a modern man, also compared Confucius to Socrates and Mencius to Plato.

But when we compared them carefully, we found many differences. The most obvious thing is that Confucius described in The Analects has a relaxed and happy feeling, which is not as tense as Mencius. Therefore, Dacheng Zhisheng was able to maintain his leisurely style with a "gentleman's magnanimous" style and avoid the "villain's long-term relationship" attitude. Confucius asked his disciples to express their ambitions, and only Zeng Xi received his approval the most. What Zeng Xi said is roughly equivalent to our today's outings and picnics, "In late spring, spring clothes are ready, five or six people with crowns, six or seven boys, bathing in Yi, dancing in the wind, chanting and returning." In direct contrast to this attitude is Mencius's proposition that "one is born in sorrow and dies in happiness." Confucius also said that if the food is not cooked well, you will not eat this or that, and your clothes must be of the right color and cut. However, Mencius said without hesitation that "there are fat meats in the kitchens, fat horses in the stables, hunger among the people, and hunger in the wilds." Moreover, words such as "The old men turn into ravines, and the strong men scatter in all directions" often appear in his mouth.

Confucius did not directly mention the good or evil nature of human beings. In "The Analects", the word "ren" appears 66 times, and no two places have the same explanation. However, since he said that even though he is a sage, he must always be vigilant to guard against unkindness, which shows that he believes that evil nature comes from innateness. He also said, "Through observation, you know benevolence." It seems that the ability to correct mistakes and encourage oneself to do good, although active, must still be generated by internal and external observation. Mencius had no such hesitation. He once said categorically: "The goodness of human nature is like the water that flows down; there is no bad person, and there is no water that does not flow down." Confucius himself admitted that he studied all his life, and until he was 70 years old, he could do whatever he wanted without breaking the rules. Mencius' self-confidence can be seen in his own words, "I am good at cultivating my awe-inspiring spirit." This moral power, he explained, is purely internal and generated by the self. So he said: "Whoever Shun was, he would do it to anyone, and he would do the same thing." In other words, he declared that everyone can be a sage.

Confucius attached great importance to "propriety". Although Confucius praised Guan Zhong for his contribution to state affairs, he still did not hesitate to attack him for using his weapons and ostentation beyond the limits of a minister. Yan Yuan was Confucius's favorite disciple. Confucius cried bitterly when he died. However, Confucius opposed Yan Yuan's lavish burial based on the principle of "propriety"; and because of the need of "propriety", Confucius met Nanzi①, which made Zilu very unhappy. Although Confucius didn't value Yang Huo's character, in order to reciprocate courtesy, he still wanted to go back and pay homage to Yang Huo when he was not at home. Mencius did not have such patience. King Xuan of Qi called him sick, and he also called him sick. When he saw King Xiang of Liang, he came out and said, "I don't look like a human king." Duke Ping of Lu did not come to visit him, and he did not go to see Duke Ping of Lu. Whether he accepts or accepts gifts from the kings of various countries depends entirely on his own will. He served as the mourning envoy of Qi State and went to Teng State, but he never mentioned his mission to his deputy envoy.

This difference cannot be said to have nothing to do with the personalities of Confucius and Mencius. Perhaps the two books "The Analects of Confucius" and "Mencius" have different records, which also has an influence. However, there is a gap of about two hundred years between the Supreme Saint and the Lesser Saint, and the situation in China has changed a lot. Mencius said, "This is a moment, and that is a moment." These eight words can be used to explain the distance between them.

Confucius was born in 551 BC and died in 479 BC, at the end of the Spring and Autumn Period. Although the dates of Mencius' birth and death cannot be determined, his most active time was in the early to middle period of the Warring States Period.

The book "Mencius" mentions at the beginning that he met King Hui of Liang, which happened in 336 BC, just before the beginning of the Warring States Period