Tao Te Ching

The Power of Goodness, the Wisdom Beyond Words
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Art of Worldly Wisdom
Chapter 127
Misguided Sympathy

Adriana Daniela Chirpac

You cannot become successful without many people failing. The misfortunes of others creates your luck. Therefore never let your sympathy for others' suffering convince you to become involved with their fate. Involvement with the unfortunate can easily pull you down to the same level. Often those envied and despised when successful become pitied with useless support when unfortunate and failing. (cf. #64)

Commentary

 

Comments (1)

  1. Shan Dao
    Shan Dao 2 years ago
    This chapter seems at odds to most of the others and promotes the opposite of what's normally considered compassion or the Golden Rule. Very unlikely this was included by the Catholic priest, Balthasar Gracián. It could be more charitably understood though as a warning against idiot compassion.