Mencius said:
“One who harms himself cannot be reasoned with; one who abandons himself cannot be partnered with in meaningful action.”
“What is ‘self-harm’? It is speaking against ritual and righteousness – rejecting moral principles in words. That is self-destruction.
What is ‘self-abandonment’? It is refusing to dwell in benevolence and follow righteousness in one’s own conduct – despite knowing they are right. That is self-rejection.
Understand this:
‘Benevolence is the secure home of humanity;
Righteousness is the correct path for human life.’Yet some people leave this secure home vacant and abandon the right path unused –
how truly sorrowful!”
孟子曰：「自暴者，不可與有言也；自棄者，不可與有為也。言非禮義，謂之自暴也；吾身不能居仁由義，謂之自棄也。仁，人之安宅也；義，人之正路也。曠安宅而弗居，舍正路而不由，哀哉！」
Note
This passage from Mencius: Li Lou I offers a profound meditation on moral agency, distinguishing between two forms of self-sabotage and affirming that human flourishing lies not in external success but in returning to one’s innate moral nature.
Self-Harm vs. Self-Abandonment
- “Self-harm” refers to verbally rejecting ethical norms – common among Warring States strategists who dismissed ritual propriety and righteousness as impractical.
- “Self-abandonment” is more insidious: it is the refusal to act on known moral truths, despite having the capacity.
Both represent a voluntary severance from one’s moral core.
Benevolence as Home, Righteousness as Path
Using the metaphors of “home” and “path,” Mencius conveys that Benevolence and Righteousness are not alien impositions but the natural habitat of the human heart.
This reflects his doctrine of innate goodness: morality is internal, not externally imposed.
Tragedy of free choice
The lament “how truly sorrowful!” arises not from anger but from pity – for those who freely choose homelessness and wandering despite having a home and a path. Their failure is not inability but unwillingness.
Contrast with Confucius and Xunzi
While Confucius emphasized disciplined self-cultivation (“restraining oneself and returning to ritual”), Mencius stressed that virtue is already within – only obscured by self-neglect.
Unlike Xunzi, who saw human nature as evil and requiring artificial correction, Mencius believed everyone could become a sage – if they simply stopped abandoning themselves.
Historical Context: Moral Nihilism in the Warring States
Amid rampant realpolitik, many intellectuals either mocked morality (self-harm) or paid it lip service while pursuing power (self-abandonment). Mencius countered that true ruin is spiritual, not political.
Modern Relevance: The quiet epidemic of self-abandonment
Today’s “self-abandonment” appears as burnout despite knowing the value of rest, cynicism despite valuing integrity, or resignation despite holding dreams. Mencius’s message endures: your greatest obstacle is not the world – it is your refusal to dwell in your moral home and walk your rightful path.
In just a few lines, Mencius delivers a timeless truth: The path to greatness begins not by conquering others, but by ceasing to abandon yourself.
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