Mencius said: "The heart of compassion, everyone has it; the heart of shame and disgust, everyone has it; the heart of respect and propriety, everyone has it; the heart of right and wrong, everyone has it. The heart of compassion is benevolence; the heart of shame and disgust is righteousness; the heart of respect and propriety is ritual; the heart of right and wrong is wisdom. Benevolence, righteousness, ritual, and wisdom are not imposed from outside; they are inherent in us from the beginning. It is merely that we do not reflect upon them." (Gaozi, Part One)
Mencius pointed out that compassion, a sense of shame, respect, and the ability to distinguish right from wrong are innate instincts shared by all people. Among these, compassion embodies benevolence, shame embodies righteousness, respect embodies ritual, and the discernment of right and wrong embodies wisdom. These four virtues—benevolence, righteousness, ritual, and wisdom—are not external impositions but are qualities inherent within us from the start; it is simply that people often lack deep reflection and pursuit.
Mencius said: "If you love others but they do not become close to you, reflect on your benevolence. If you govern people but they are not well-ordered, reflect on your wisdom. If you treat others with ritual but they do not reciprocate, reflect on your respect. Whenever actions do not yield the desired results, one should turn inward and seek the cause within oneself. If one's own character is upright, the people of the world will naturally submit." (Lilou, Part One)
Mencius further elaborated: If one loves others yet fails to gain their affection, one should examine whether one's benevolence is sufficient. If one governs the people but fails to maintain order, one should examine whether one's wisdom is sufficient. If one treats others with propriety but receives no response, one should examine whether one's respect is sufficient. Whenever actions fail to achieve the intended effect, one should look within oneself for the cause. As long as one's own conduct is upright, the people of the world will naturally align with one.
Mencius said: "People have a common saying that goes, 'The world and the state.' The foundation of the world lies in the state, the foundation of the state lies in the family, and the foundation of the family lies in the individual." (Lilou, Part One)
Mencius noted that the phrase "the world and the state" is commonly spoken, but its fundamental logic is that the root of the world is the state, the root of the state is the family, and the root of the family is the individual. This statement emphasizes the decisive role of personal cultivation in the stability and prosperity of family and nation.
Mencius said: "A person will only be insulted by others after insulting himself; a family will only be destroyed by others after destroying itself; a state will only be conquered by others after conquering itself." (Lilou, Part One)
Mencius warned that a person will be insulted by others only if he first invites such treatment through his own actions; a family will be ruined by others only if it first undermines itself; and a state will be attacked by others only if it first brings about its own downfall. This profoundly reveals the dominant role of internal factors in the rise and fall of things.
