# Wan Zhang II: service and relationships: summary

Compares decisions to serve or withdraw and discusses roles, relationships and respect.

https://sakimyto.com/en/classics/mencius/chapter-10-wan-zhang-ii-service-and-relationships

## Source and summary

[Mencius · Wan Zhang II: service and relationships](https://zh.wikisource.org/w/index.php?title=%E5%AD%9F%E5%AD%90/%E5%85%A8%E8%A6%BD&oldid=2636978#%E8%90%AC%E7%AB%A0%E4%B8%8B)

> 孟子曰：「伯夷目不視惡色，耳不聽惡聲。非其君不事，非其民不使。治則進，亂則退。橫政之所出，橫民之所止，不忍居也。思與鄉人處，如以朝衣朝冠坐於涂炭也。當紂之時，居北海之濱，以待天下之…

Compares decisions to serve or withdraw and discusses roles, relationships and respect.

## Editorial interpretation

The example below adapts this chapter’s questions to modern work. Evaluate it against the actual purpose and conditions; ancient politics, warfare or ethics do not establish business results.

## Business application

When engaging an external collaborator, agree on roles, decision owners and conditions for declining or ending the work.

1. Choose one relevant case and record its objective, available resources, verified facts and unknowns.
2. Compare options using this chapter’s perspective; choose a limited trial, owner, deadline and a measure to assess the result.

Deliverable: A comparison using wan zhang ii: service and relationships, with conditions for acting or declining.

## Limits

The summary selects main points rather than translating every sentence. The example is not a demonstrated business method; check it against stakeholders’ conditions and actual evidence.

## Validation question

How does this chapter’s perspective change the selected option or priority, and what further evidence could change the decision?

[Mencius: a guide to judgment and responsibility](https://sakimyto.com/en/classics/mencius)

[This material](https://sakimyto.com/classics-data/entries/mencius/chapter-10-wan-zhang-ii-service-and-relationships.en.md)

Updated: 2026-10-13 · v1.0.0