Chu Zi asked Mencius: “The king sent someone to secretly observe you – does he really have any qualities that make him different from ordinary people?”
Mencius said: “What distinguishes the noble person from ordinary people lies in what they hold in their heart. The noble person keeps benevolence and ritual propriety in mind. One who embodies benevolence loves others; one who embodies ritual respects others. Those who love others are constantly loved in return; those who respect others are…
Xu Zi asked: “Confucius often praised water, exclaiming, ‘Ah, water! Ah, water!’ What did he admire about it?”
Mencius said: “The trouble with people is that they love to act as teachers to others.”
Mencius said: “One who harms himself cannot be reasoned with; one who abandons himself cannot be partnered with in meaningful action.”