Most people act out roles based on the desired impression they would like to make. Lies almost always come first but most of us immediately believe and accept the superficial and distorted as the truth it almost never matches. That leads to bad choices, unexpected pitfalls, and often disastrous results. Instead, stop being so easily convinced, believing and liking so easily. Suspend judgment, question first impressions, look under the surface. But do this discretely; don't let your suspension of belief cause insult by implying that your source is either a cheat or has been cheated. And too much disbelief is an indication of a liar who never believes and should also never be believed. A similar dynamic plays out with being impressed by, loving and liking people. Lies come from actions and objects as well as words.

Most prefer imitation to invention and in that way secure an inferior place in their profession, in their society, and in history. They choose the easier path of copying and find it easier but look to the world like parrots and unknowingly build a glass ceiling they will never be able to rise above. Those with the courage to take chances and try new ventures and ideas, however, immediately gain advantage and invite fame and recognition. If both first and successful, that success becomes twice as impressive.

Most think of themselves as "free" but live their lives controlled by their passions and desires. Most of our feelings arise from our biological inheritance, most of our thoughts and opinions arise from our family, culture, and friends. To resist the power of these influences and find a more authentic and creative path in life represents the highest realization and quality of mind. There is no greater influence than influence over our own minds.

Most value highly in collaborators their intelligence, skill, and experience. Attitude, however, often becomes more important. Often mediocre but dedicated people go further than skillfully superior people without the inspiration. In most—even the highest—positions, ability is rarely lacking, most-often the limiting factor becomes attitude. And to achieve any kind of greatness, we need both. It's understandable to prefer a small success in a great endeavor instead of a great success in a small one; but, to prefer a lazy mediocrity to an animated achievement is inexcusable. What requires little effort earns little reward.

Much better to increase the respect of your position than to rely on your occupation for respect. Only artificial self-worth depends on credentials and that dependence just undermines esteem. Instead of worrying about what people think, use that time to increase your skills, excel in your office, perfect your talents. You then become essential to your co-workers and sought after and appreciated by the wise.

Mutability permeates all of life, everything changes, nothing stays the same—so don't count on current successes or advantages to continue. Prepare for the unexpected, double your resources, never depend on only one system of support. As nature duplicates essential body parts—eyes, hands, arms, legs, ears, feet—reserve extra quantities of natural resources, insight, goodwill, personal qualities—all the essentials for success, esteem, profit, and happiness.

Nature doesn’t make long speeches,
Only simple and quiet words ripen by themselves.
A hurricane doesn’t last all morning,
A sudden cloudburst doesn’t last all day.
If even the greatest forces of nature
Can’t go on and on,
How much less so do people need to?

So whatever you do,
Be one with the Way.
When you succeed,
Be one with success.
When you fail,
Be one with failure.
To be appreciated, appreciate.

Never feel "finished" and slip into complacency. Mistaking a successful conclusion as a signal to relax into a self-satisfied stupor begins an inevitable decline into entropy. Instead, the wise view good luck and unexpected success as a foundation to do more, to become more engaged rather than only take a vacation. Letting go of superficial, personal desires, cultivate a big heart, an insatiable capacity for the kind of good luck that can lead to more and more goodness in the world.

Never let the world plumb your depths. The world disregards and diminishes the clearly known but projects much more than the reality on the implied, on the unknown, and the mysterious. Let people see the surface but not the inner core, the results but not the causes, the accomplishments but never the full capacity, the extent of your skills, or the depths of your insight and wisdom. Much more admiration arises when people have to guess the extent of your skill no matter how great the reality.

Often the most well thought-out plans fail, the most inner-vetted decisions turn out badly. But they do extremely well compared to ventures undertaken with doubt and uncertainty. Better to forgo projects when doubts stay high, when the path forward unclear, when judgment wavers. If you have deep doubts about success, rivals and others who watch you will quickly turn the fear of failure into a conclusion. Therefore never start a new venture when reason and intuition don't confirm the choice.

One of the great arts of managing people involves keeping expectations alive without letting them devolve into disappointment. With too little expectation, people lose inspiration and get lazy. With too much, they become disillusioned and get lazy for that reason. By finding a middle ground between these two extremes, leaders keep motivation high, discouragement low. Instead of contributing too much, too soon; spread out the acknowledgment of accomplishments and rewards in small increments over a longer period of time. For every success, keep a vision of further success clear.

One of the greatest lessons in life revolves around learning to refuse negative influences and external demands, to cut through sidetracks, to disengage from unimportant activities that steal precious time, and to disinvolve ourselves from people and affairs that don't directly concern us. This preserves goodwill, esteem, and the freedom to always choose the best course of action. The cultivation of this discipline also gives us insight and skill in preventing others from inappropriate involvement in our own affairs, inhibits the taking advantage of friendships, avoids the great failing of excess which always creates a vice, and promotes the important quality of moderation that keeps us in the good graces of others without having to abandon ourselves.

Only little known people have little known defects. Everyone has shortcomings, faults, and failings—they comprise our individuality. Only the foolish and craven focus on spreading criticism as a way of trying to build themselves up, of diverting attention away from their own misdeeds, or of making themselves feel better about their own flaws. Their libel, slander, and truthfulness form the sewers of slander and corrupt their own reputations while they degrade society. To gossip, spotlight, and catalog defects creates a contaminated life and a personality without heart.

Our friends, associates, and our whole environment influence us in subtle and mainly unconscious ways. This also influences how others think about us when they see us with these people and situations. When on the way to a higher status—when climbing a social, political, or corporate pyramid—associate with those of more prominence and prestige. The respect they elicit will blend into our own reputation. This process works in reverse, however, when we have already arrived at the higher position: associating with more skillful and more respected people will detract from our own standing. As the sun rises, it becomes harder and harder to see the moon.

Passion and variety spice up, deepen, and enrich life. Cultivated skills, taste, and intellect create a microcosm of nature herself that brings delight, passion, and success. By recognizing opportunities, solutions, and practicability; one person can accomplish as much as many. And this person's enthusiasm, inspiration, and appreciation spreads and influences many others giving them an accessible energy and a more vivid sense of meaningfulness.

People say that the Tao is great
But not practical, even useless.
Because it’s great it’s improbable, not practical or useful.
What’s probable is conventional and petty.
If it were useful,
It would never have become great.
Because it’s great, it seems like folly.
When truths become solid,
They transform into clichés.

Only 3 qualities are worth treasuring and following closely:
Compassion, moderation, and humility.
From compassion comes bravery,
From moderation comes generosity,
From humility comes authentic leadership.

But bravery without compassion,
Generosity without self-restraint,
Leadership without humility
All lead to disaster.

Compassion wins every battle
And outlasts every attack.
What goodness creates,
Compassion protects.

Perceptions create the illusion
Of a solid world
And can blind, deafen, & dull
Non-duality and Egolessness.
Chasing fame, fortune, pleasure & power
Only drives us crazy
While the race for riches
Just creates more crime.

So the wise understand
The sense, not just the words
Choosing reality over illusion;
This over that.

Politicians preach conformity and a preference for being with the status quo over being right. They say people see solitary wisdom as a kind of folly, that it's better to be deluded with the crowd rather than clear-seeing alone, that we have to live with other people and they are mainly ignorant, that ignorance comprises the greatest wisdom, or at least the pretense of it. The truly wise prefer the opposite: better sane with the rest of the sane, wise with the rest of the wise than insane alone, a fool by ourselves.

Putting all our cards on the table face up diminishes our achievements, welcomes frivolous criticism, and makes us more vulnerable to failure. When we clearly describe a new venture too early, it attracts criticism and competition and—if it fails—can become doubly disastrous. Instead, mix a little mystery into everything you say and do, hold decisions in suspense for a time, and don't explain things too clearly. By holding decisions in check without declaring conclusions too soon, you create anticipation, cultivate admiration, wonder, and respect. "Cautious silence is the sacred sanctuary of worldly wisdom."

Recognize the masculine
But turn back to the feminine
And become the world’s riverbed
Always true and unswerving,
Becoming a new born child again.

Recognize the light
But turn back to the dark
And become a pattern to the world,
True and unerring power
Going back again to boundlessness.

Recognize the glory
But turn back to the modest
And become the world’s guide
To boundless energy and power
Going back again to the natural,
An uncarved block of wood,
Primal simplicity.

A block of wood can be made into tools
But tools cannot be made into a block of wood
The wise can easily be made into leaders
But leaders not so easily made wise.
The greatest carver does the least cutting.