Mencius said,
“Benevolence brings glory, whereas its absence leads to disgrace. Now people hate disgrace and benevolence, just like those who hate dampness but live in a low-lying area.
If a ruler hates disgrace, nothing will be better for him than to value virtue and esteem worthy scholars – placing virtuous men in high positions, and capable men in office.
When the state enjoys peace and security, that is precisely the time to clarify its policies and rectify its laws and punishments. If this is done, even a small state will be feared by the great powers.
The Book of Poetry says:
‘Before the rain,
I strip bark of the mulberry tree,
Mend the window and door.
Now that I am prepared,
Who dares to bully me?’Confucius remarked on this poem,
‘The author of this poem probably knew the principle of government. If a ruler can run a state well, who will dare to humiliate him?’
Yet today, when states enjoy peace, they indulge in pleasure, idleness, and arrogance – they are inviting disaster upon themselves. Indeed, fortune and misfortune alike are self-invited.
The Book of Poetry says:
‘Obey forever Heaven’s mandate,
And seek much blessing for yourself.’And the Book of Documents (Tai Jia) declares,
This is exactly what is meant.”
孟子曰：「仁則榮，不仁則辱。今惡辱而居不仁，是猶惡溼而居下也。如惡之，莫如貴德而尊士，賢者在位，能者在職。國家閒暇，及是時明其政刑。雖大國，必畏之矣。《詩》云：『迨天之未陰雨，徹彼桑土，綢繆牖戶。今此下民，或敢侮予？』孔子曰：『為此詩者，其知道乎！能治其國家，誰敢侮之？』今國家閒暇，及是時般樂怠敖，是自求禍也。禍褔無不自己求之者。《詩》云：『永言配命，自求多褔。』《太甲》曰：『天作孽，猶可違；自作孽，不可活。』此之謂也。」
Note
This passage comes from Mencius: Gongsun Chou I and vividly expresses Mencius’s sense of moral urgency, his proactive political philosophy, and the Confucian doctrine of moral causality – “one invites one’s own fortune or misfortune.”
Benevolence brings Honor: Morality as national destiny
Mencius directly links a state’s rise or fall to whether its ruler practices benevolence, continuing the Confucian principle that “virtue matches Heaven and Earth” and “position must be matched by virtue.”
Unlike the Legalists, such as Shang Yang and his reform in Qin, who prioritized wealth and military strength, Mencius argued that true security stems from clean governance and popular support – not coercion or deterrence.
Critique of Hypocrisy
In the Warring States period, rulers claimed to fear invasion and sought national strength (e.g., Qi and Wei, frequently attacked), yet indulged in luxury, appointed flatterers, and imposed heavy taxes.
The metaphor of “Hating dampness yet living in a low place” echoes the Great Learning:
“When what should be valued is neglected and what should be neglected is valued, failure is inevitable.”
A classic case of putting the cart before the horse.
Governance through Foresight
Mencius insists that peacetime is the ideal moment for reform – not for indulgence.
This aligns with the Book of Changes (Yi Jing):
“The noble person anticipates trouble and prepares for it.”
And the Zuo Zhuan:
“In peace, think of danger; with forethought comes preparedness; with preparedness, there is no peril.”
Historically, King Min of Qi briefly rose to power but then succumbed to arrogance and excess, provoking the coalition of five states that nearly destroyed Qi – an exact embodiment of “indulging in pleasure, idleness and arrogance, thus inviting disaster.”
The Confucian view of fate
- Rejecting fatalism, Confucianism holds that individuals shape their destiny through their actions. “Fortune and misfortune are both self-invited”;
- “Self-invited blessings” arise not from divine favor but from cultivating virtue and governing justly; “self-inflicted calamities” result from moral failure.
This idea deeply shaped Chinese political culture’s core belief:
“Heaven’s Mandate is not fixed – it rests solely on virtue.”
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