– Mencius, Book 6, Chapter 15, The Annals of the Three Kings
When Heaven is about to entrust a person with a great task,
it must first torment his mind,
wear out his body,
starve his stomach,
and make his life miserable,
making everything he does difficult and chaotic. One is,
It moves the mind, and by enduring and persevering, it prevents the mind from being taken away,
It enables one to do what one has not been able to do before.
[2]
There is life in trouble,
and there is death in comfort.
– Mencius, Part 6, Chapter 15, The Book of Remarks