Once, a disciple of Mencius asked him, "There are so many things to know and to do. What should one prioritize learning and doing?" Mencius replied, "A wise person knows many things, but they should focus on the most urgent tasks at hand, rather than trying to attend to everything. For instance, benevolence is universally loved, but one should first extend it to family members and virtuous individuals. Similarly, even ancient sage-kings like Yao and Shun could not comprehend everything, for they had to urgently address the most critical matters of their time. Their benevolence, too, did not encompass everyone, as they urgently focused their love on their kin and the virtuous."

Mencius then approached the question from the opposite perspective, stating, "If one's parents pass away, and one neglects the three-year mourning period, yet is meticulous about the rituals for three or five months of mourning; or if one eats impolitely in front of elders, wolfing down food and slurping soup, yet prattles on about minor etiquette like not tearing dried meat with one's teeth – this is to neglect the fundamental for the trivial, failing to recognize what is truly essential to know and do at the moment."