Mencius paints human nature as a garden already stocked with four moral “sprouts,” each waiting for nurturing:

• Compassion (恻隐之心, cèyǐn zhī xīn)
The instant tug at the heart when witnessing another’s suffering—like that surge of solidarity seen whenever communities rally after natural disasters today. This innate empathy forms the root of benevolence, urging acts of kindness before selfish motives even kick in.

• Shame and Disdain (羞恶之心, xiū’è zhī xīn)
A natural recoil at injustice or moral missteps, similar to the collective outrage over social inequities trending on social media. It fuels a sense of righteousness, compelling individuals to speak up when fairness is at stake.

• Courtesy and Deference (辞让之心, círàng zhī xīn)
The instinct to treat others with respect, surrendering personal gain for harmony—think of everyday gestures, from letting someone merge on a busy highway to the viral videos of strangers stepping aside for healthcare workers during recent global health efforts. That spark of propriety roots itself in social cohesion.

• Sense of Right and Wrong (是非之心, shìfēi zhī xīn)
An internal compass guiding moral judgment, not learned overnight but emerging in childhood play—when a toddler instinctively shares a toy or protests bullying on the playground. Modern psychology even hints at toddlers’ early moral evaluations, echoing what Mencius observed centuries ago.

Rather than viewing people as blank slates, Mencius trusted those four beginnings to blossom into full virtues—benevolence, righteousness, propriety, and wisdom—provided a supportive environment. Today’s conversations about emotional intelligence and character education carry forward that ancient insight: nurture those seeds, and the garden of humanity thrives.