Jin Xin I · Passage 18 / 46 · 孟子 7A.18

Mencius 7A.18: peril and suffering can deepen judgment

Mencius does not romanticize pain. He argues that people of virtue and intelligence often grow amid danger, because peril forces vigilance and deeper foresight.

孟子曰：「人之有德慧術知者，恒存乎疢疾。獨孤臣孽子，其操心也危，其慮患也深，故達。」

mèng zǐ yuē：「rén zhī yǒu dé huì shù zhī zhě， héng cún hū chèn jí。 dú gū chén niè zǐ， qí cāo xīn yě wēi， qí lǜ huàn yě shēn， gù dá。」

Mencius said, 'Men who are possessed of intelligent virtue and prudence in affairs will generally be found to have been in sickness and troubles. They are the friendless minister and concubine's son, who keep their hearts under a sense of peril, and use deep precautions against calamity. On this account they become distinguished for their intelligence.'

Priority note

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Central question

Why does Mencius say that people of virtue and practical intelligence are often found in sickness and trouble?

Direct answer

Because danger makes lightness difficult. The isolated minister and the vulnerable son are forced to keep the heart alert and to think far ahead, and this pressure can deepen judgment.

First principle

Maturity does not arise only in ease. When a person must live close to consequence, frivolity is harder to sustain and judgment can become more serious.

Why it matters

This passage serves searches around adversity, suffering, prudence, and why Mencius links moral depth with life under pressure.

What this passage is doing

This is passage 18 of 46 in Jin Xin I. The cleanest entry point is "Men who are possessed of intelligent virtue and…". In context, it works as part of Mencius's argument about exhausting the heart, sincerity, and preserving the original heart and can be read alongside Human nature.

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