孺子入井(유자입정)

어린아이가 우물에 빠지려 한다.
누구나 우물에 빠지는 어린아이를 보면 구하려 한다는 의미이다.
사람은 누구나 위험을 보면 측은히 여겨 도우려 한다.
다른 사람의 불행과 아픔을 같이 아파하고 애처러워하는 마음이 있다.
인간의 본성은 본디 선하다(人性本善)는 맹자의 성선론(性善論)을 대표하는 표현이다.
孺子將入于井(유자장입우정)이라고도 한다.
不忍人之心(불인인지심)는 "다른 사람이 겪는 고통을 보면 참지 않으려는 마음이 있다"는 의미이고, 같은 표현이다.
惻隱之心(측은지심)도 같은 의미이다.
a child about to fall into a well
a mind which cannot bear to see the sufferings of others
ordinary people should be looked after
feeling of compassion
heart of sympathy
 
《孟子 公孫丑上》 孟子曰： "人皆有不忍人之心。先王有不忍人之心，斯有不忍人之政矣。以不忍人之心，行不忍人之政，治天下可運之掌上。所以謂人皆有不忍人之心者，今人乍見孺子將入於井，皆有怵惕惻隱之心。非所以內交於孺子之父母也，非所以要譽於鄉黨朋友也，非惡其聲而然也。由是觀之，無惻隱之心，非人也；無羞惡之心，非人也；無辭讓之心，非人也；無是非之心，非人也。惻隱之心，仁之端也；羞惡之心，義之端也；辭讓之心，禮之端也；是非之心，智之端也。"
《맹자 공손축상》 맹자왈： "인개유불인인지심。선왕유불인인지심，사유불인인지정의。이불인인지심，행불인인지정，치천하가운지장상。소이위인개유불인인지심자，금인사견유자장입어정，개유출척측은지심。비소이내교어유자지부모야，비소이요예어향당붕우야，비악기성이연야。유시관지，무측은지심，비인야；무수악지심，비인야；무사양지심，비인야；무시비지심，비인야。측은지심，인지단야；수악지심，의지단야；사양지심，례지단야；시비지심，지지단야。"
Mencius said, "All men have a mind which cannot bear to see the sufferings of others. The ancient kings had this commiserating mind, and they, as a matter of course, had likewise a commiserating government. When with a commiserating mind was practised a commiserating government, to rule the kingdom was as easy a matter as to make anything go round in the palm. When I say that all men have a mind which cannot bear to see the sufferings of others, my meaning may be illustrated thus: even now-a-days, if men suddenly see a child about to fall into a well, they will without exception experience a feeling of alarm and distress. They will feel so, not as a ground on which they may gain the favour of the child's parents, nor as a ground on which they may seek the praise of their neighbours and friends, nor from a dislike to the reputation of having been unmoved by such a thing. From this case we may perceive that the feeling of commiseration is essential to man, that the feeling of shame and dislike is essential to man, that the feeling of modesty and complaisance is essential to man, and that the feeling of approving and disapproving is essential to man. The feeling of commiseration is the principle of benevolence. The feeling of shame and dislike is the principle of righteousness. The feeling of modesty and complaisance is the principle of propriety. The feeling of approving and disapproving is the principle of knowledge."