Jin Xin I · Passage 44 / 46 · 孟子 7A.44

Mencius 7A.44: sharp advance means quick retreat

Mencius warns that rapid advance often hides a weak base: those who yield first where they should not stop usually fall back just as quickly.

孟子曰：「於不可已而已者，無所不已。於所厚者薄，無所不薄也。其進銳者，其退速。」

mèng zǐ yuē：「wū bù kě yǐ ér yǐ zhě， wú suǒ bù yǐ。 wū suǒ hòu zhě báo， wú suǒ bù báo yě。 qí jìn ruì zhě， qí tuì sù。」

Mencius said, 'He who stops short where stopping is acknowledged to be not allowable, will stop short in everything. He who behaves shabbily to those whom he ought to treat well, will behave shabbily to all. He who advances with precipitation will retire with speed.'

Priority note

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Central question

Why does Mencius link sharp advance with quick retreat?

Direct answer

Because apparent boldness is often built on unstable ground. If a person already yields at the wrong point and goes thin where he should be thick, speed itself becomes fragile.

First principle

Reliable progress does not come from sudden force alone, but from not loosening one's hold where firmness is required.

Why it matters

This passage serves searches around retreat, overreach, perseverance, and why Mencius judges the base beneath movement.

What this passage is doing

This is passage 44 of 46 in Jin Xin I. The cleanest entry point is "He who stops short where stopping is acknowledged…". 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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