Q0146
“Thus, when Heaven is about to confer a great responsibility on someone,…” — Mencius (Mencius, Gaozi II)
Verified English quotation. Primary source: Mencius, Gaozi II. Theme: philosophy.
English
Thus, when Heaven is about to confer a great responsibility on someone, it first afflicts his mind and will, exhausts his muscles and bones, starves his body, subjects him to poverty, and confounds his undertakings — so as to stir his mind, harden his nature, and increase his capacities.
Source and attribution
The archive attributes this English wording to Mencius, Gaozi II and files it under Confucianism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
About Mencius
Mencius (Meng Ke, c. 371–c.
Interpretation
Mencius lists hardships — hunger, poverty, failure — and reads them as the formation required for responsibility. The claim is not that suffering is good in itself but that the capacities a great task needs are developed under pressure that removes easier options. The structure is conditional: Heaven is "about to" confer responsibility, so the hardship is preparatory rather than punitive. He is giving an account of why difficulty often precedes usefulness in a person's life.
Why it matters
It is a claim about formation, not a promise. The distinction matters: the same hardship that forms one person embitters another, so the outcome is not guaranteed by the event.
How to cite this quotation
APA: Mencius. (n.d.). Thus, when Heaven is about to confer a great responsibility on someone, it first afflicts his mind and will, exhausts his muscles and bones, starves his body, subjects him to poverty, and confounds his undertakings — so as to stir his mind, harden his nature, and increase his capacities. In Philosophy Blind Box. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0146
MLA: Mencius. “Thus, when Heaven is about to confer a….” Philosophy Blind Box, https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0146.
Chicago: Mencius. “Thus, when Heaven is about to confer a….” Philosophy Blind Box. Accessed 2026. https://www.philosophydef.com/quotes/q0146.
Frequently asked questions
What is the source of the quotation “Thus, when Heaven is about to confer a…”?
The passage is attributed to Mencius, Mencius, Gaozi II. The archive attributes this English wording to Mencius, Gaozi II and files it under Confucianism. That locator distinguishes the passage from loose internet attributions: readers can return to the named work or section to check translation, surrounding argument, and edition-specific wording.
What does Mencius mean by philosophy?
This passage is indexed under . Those labels identify the concepts it can illuminate; they do not replace the argument surrounding it in Mencius, Gaozi II.