As Mencius traveled from Fan to the capital of Qi, he caught sight of the prince of Qi from afar and sighed deeply, “One’s surroundings alter one’s temperament, and one’s sustenance alters one’s physical bearing. How great is the influence of one’s environment! Is he not just the son of an ordinary man like anyone else?”
Mencius continued, “The prince’s houses, carriages, horses, and clothing are mostly the same as those of ordinary people. Yet he appears so extraordinary because his noble environment has made him that way. How much more so for one who dwells in the most expansive dwelling in the world! When the monarch of Lu visited the state of Song, he called out at the Dieze gate. The gatekeeper said, ‘This is not our monarch; why does his voice sound so much like our monarch’s?’ There is no other reason for this than that their positions and environments are similar.”
Note
This passage from the Jin Xin I chapter of the Mencius is a vivid exposition on “how environment shapes individuals” and “how spiritual realms determine one’s aura.” Drawing on historical context and Confucian classics, we can understand its underlying thought through the following dimensions:
- The Shaping Power of Environment: The Objective Law of “Surroundings Altering Temperament and Sustenance Altering Physical Bearing”
Mencius first reveals, from a secular perspective, the profound impact of environment on individuals. “Surroundings” refer not only to physical dwellings but also to a person’s social status, class, and overall milieu; “sustenance” refers to material provisions and living conditions. Mencius astutely observed that even ordinary people of the exact same bloodline would undergo tremendous changes in speech, demeanor, temperament, and physical bearing once placed in the affluent environment of royalty and nobility. This demonstrates that a person’s outward presentation is largely a product of their postnatal social environment. - The Isomorphism of Voice and Temperament: “There Is No Other Reason Than That Their Positions and Environments Are Similar” as a Class Imprint
Mencius uses the example of the similar voices of the monarchs of Lu and Song to further substantiate this “environmental determinism.” In ancient society with its strict hierarchy, individuals at the same pinnacle of power would naturally share similar lifestyles, etiquette norms, and even vocal habits. Mencius uses this to illustrate that external “similarities” often stem from identical internal “circumstances.” This is both an accurate insight into secular phenomena and a necessary foreshadowing for the subsequent philosophical sublimation. - The Sublimation of the Confucian Spirit: The Transcendence of the Realm of “Dwelling in the Most Expansive Dwelling in the World”
This is the core and soul of the entire passage. Mencius discusses secular “dwellings” ultimately to introduce the spiritual “dwelling.” In other chapters of the Mencius, he explicitly stated, “Dwell in the most expansive dwelling in the world, stand in the most upright position in the world, and walk the great path in the world.” Here, the “expansive dwelling” refers to “benevolence” (ren). Mencius uses this to declare to the world: while secular wealth and status can only alter a person’s appearance and temperament, a truly great gentleman who anchors his mind in “benevolence” – the most expansive dwelling in the world – will radiate a spiritual aura and moral brilliance that far surpasses the nobility of secular princes, reaching a much grander and eternal realm.
孟子自范之齐，望见齐王之子。喟然叹曰：“居移气，养移体，大哉居乎！夫非尽人之子与？”
孟子曰：“王子宫室、车马、衣服多与人同，而王子若彼者，其居使之然也；况居天下之广居者乎？鲁君之宋，呼于垤泽之门。守者曰：‘此非吾君也，何其声之似我君也？’此无他，居相似也。”
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