Li Lou I · Passage 21 / 28 · 孟子 4A.21
Mencius 4A.21: unexpected praise and blame for perfection
Mencius warns that reputation does not move in a clean ratio to merit: praise may arrive unexpectedly, while the effort to be complete may draw harsher blame.
孟子曰：「有不虞之譽，有求全之毀。」
Mencius said, 'There are cases of praise which could not be expected, and of reproach when the parties have been seeking to be perfect.'
Priority note
A human-edited reading layer
Central question
Why does Mencius say that there is unexpected praise and blame that comes from seeking completeness?
Direct answer
Because public judgment does not track reality with perfect calm. Once someone tries to do a thing thoroughly, higher expectations and finer scrutiny often follow, bringing blame precisely where care has increased.
First principle
Systems of praise and blame are not pure mirrors. Expectation, standpoint, and limited vision often mediate what people say about an action.
Why it matters
This passage serves searches around blame, praise, perfectionism, and why serious effort can draw criticism, while strengthening the site's training in moral judgment.
Further reading
What this passage is doing
This is passage 21 of 28 in Li Lou I. The cleanest entry point is "There are cases of praise which could not…". In context, it works as part of Mencius's argument about self-examination, disorder, and keeping the way and can be read alongside Humane government / kingly way.
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Li Lou I often approaches disorder through self-examination and the standards for keeping the way.
Related principles
Citation note
Do not turn it into cynicism about reputation. Mencius is not telling people to stop seeking completeness, but to understand that public judgment is not mechanically fair.