Gongduzi asks why people differ morally. Mencius distinguishes the thinking moral heart (greater part) from passive, easily misled senses. Prioritizing the heart secures virtue and makes one noble, while following senses makes a petty person.
The Master said, “I once spent a whole day without eating and a whole night without sleeping, devoting myself entirely to thinking – but gained nothing. It is better to study than to ponder in vain.”
The Master said, “He who learns but does not think is lost. He who thinks but does not learn is in great danger.”