Men Must Be Decided On What

From Mengzi 4B, one of many short moral aphorisms in that section. Mencius, following Confucius, saw clear moral boundaries as the prerequisite for effective action: a person who has not determined what they will refuse to do remains susceptible to compromise and drift. This reflects the Confucian emphasis on rectification — settling one's principles firmly before engaging the world, so that action proceeds from a stable moral centre rather than from expediency.