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" "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.
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
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The feeling of commiseration is the beginning of humanity; the feeling of shame and dislike is the beginning of righteousness; the feeling of deference and compliance is the beginning of propriety; and the feeling of right or wrong is the beginning of wisdom. Men have these Four Beginnings just as they have their four limbs. Having these Four Beginnings, but saying that they cannot develop them is to destroy themselves.