So it is that whenever Heaven invests a person with great responsibilities, it first tries his resolve, exhausts his muscles and bones, starves his b… - Mencius

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So it is that whenever Heaven invests a person with great responsibilities, it first tries his resolve, exhausts his muscles and bones, starves his body, leaves him destitute, and confound his every endeavor. In this way his patience and endurance are developed, and his weaknesses are overcome. We change and grow only when we make mistakes. We realize what to do only when we work through worry and confusion. And we gain people’s trust and understanding only when our inner thoughts are revealed clearly in our faces and words.

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About Mencius

Mencius [孟子; Mèng Zǐ; Meng Tzu; Zhuyin Fuhao: ㄇㄥˋ ㄗˇ] (372 – 289 BC, or perhaps 385 – 303/302 BC) is one of the most famous Confucian philosophers.

Biography information from Wikiquote

Also Known As

Alternative Names: Meng Ke Meng-tze Mengzi Meng K'e Meng-tzu Meng Tzu
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Additional quotes by Mencius

The heart of compassion is the germ of benevolence; the heart of shame, of dutifulness; the heart of courtesy and modesty, of observance of the rites; the heart of right and wrong, of wisdom. Man has these four germs just as he has four limbs. For a man possessing these four germs to deny his own potentialities is for him to cripple himself.

Only when there are things a man will not do is he capable of doing great things.

Friendship is one mind in two bodies.

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