Like a horse rider staying in the saddle in spite of intense bumps and twists, don't let sensationalism seduce you. Never promote the sensational in order to not seem trite. At first, it may gain attention from its novelty or outrageousness but soon the deceit becomes known and the promoter only looks foolish. Both of these extremes—adherence to only status quo conformity and enthusiastic excitement about outrageous propositions—only bring disgrace. Enthusiasm based on uncertainty is like building on sand instead of a firm foundation. Instead, the wise always align their undertakings with the reasonable and sure. They don't sacrifice their integrity for short-term and unfounded attention.

Life is a journey toward completeness—everyday we can move a little closer to a higher realization, a more clear understanding, a more mature judgment, a more firm will. We can join that rare fellowship of those who speak with wisdom and act with skillful judgment.

Lies always come first and drag the foolish into webs of hazardous pitfalls. Deceit normally manipulates the surface and so easily lures in the superficial. The wise, however, wait for the truth's slow emergence. It lives beneath the surface distorting the truth and making things often much different from what they seem. The wise remember that duplicity normally comes first and let one of their inner ears hear the presentation and patiently reserve a second ear for the truth's slow emergence. [cf. #13]

Less fame, less fighting,
Less praise, less competition,
Less treasure, less theft,
Less desire, less delusion –
Therefore the wise leader begins by
Opening minds, emptying desires;
Weakening ambition, strengthening resolve,
Preventing external interference.
They do not-doing
And all goes well.

Less but more frequent goes much further than dumping everything at once onto a situation. Capacities for understanding differ and when we give someone too much too soon, eyes glaze over and—instead of being impressed—people can become confused and even resentful. Momentum means everything and it requires regular refueling. Too much on display today means not enough for tomorrow. Instead, pace yourself, never do more than enough, waste not knowledge or resource, and always keep something new in reserve.

Leave things before they leave you, break the mirror and find a new one before it starts reflecting failure. Know when your ability stops meeting the task, when the racehorse needs to stop racing, when your actions can no longer match your reputation. Pass on the power, the influence, the knowledge to others who can carry them forward with increasing skills rather than your diminishing ones. Like the sun going behind clouds as it sets leaving only the memory of its brightness, pull another victory out of the claws of entropy, old age, and death.

Learn how to use the subtle art of insinuation, innuendo, and veiled remarks. One of the most sophisticated and nuanced activities of human communication, using this kind of tactfulness spans the range from malicious envy to the most skillful accomplishment. It can help us understand the people we deal with, probe their hearts, and test their integrity; but it can also cause great harm, quickly destroy solid reputations, and destroy the good will of old friends, colleagues, supervisors, and subordinates. Understanding this dynamic also helps inoculate us from the skillful manipulation of others. A foreseen attack is most easily defended against. While an unforeseen intrusion has the power of an ambush, anticipating an attack gives the defense great strength.

Know the ground you stand on and throw straws in the air to see the wind. Most success depends on support so test for the likelihood of support before seriously starting a new venture. Before deciding, asking, or implementing; float trial balloons and listen carefully to the feedback. Critical when endorsements seem questionable, this process can also gauge and adjust the level of our own confidence and support. With more foresight, we can choose more intelligently which projects to abandon and which to embrace.

It’s easy to guide a peaceful situation,
Easy to stop trouble before it starts,
Easy to break something when still fragile,
Easy to get rid of something when still small,
Easy to get clear before things get complicated and confused.

As a giant tree grows from a small seed,
And a tall building rises from a shovelful of earth,
Our 10,000 mile journeys begin with one step.
But rushing into action fails,
And grasping makes things slip away.

The wise therefore let things take their course and nothing goes wrong,
Don’t hold on and nothing is lost.
Instead of ruining things when on the verge of success,
They mind the end as the beginning,
The journey as the goal.

The wise only want not to want
And care nothing for hard won treasures.
They study what no one else studies
And turn back to the places
Others have gone on from.
They go along with things as they are
Without presuming to act.

It's easy to see our outer image and qualities but much more important to see clearly our inner selves—our talents, passions, short comings, inclinations, character flaws, intellect, our levels of understanding and wisdom. Without an undistorted view of who and what we really are, we can't improve ourselves, our families, our communities, or the world. By default, most of us fall into the arrogance of self-deception, the distortions of projection, and the delusions of ego-centrism. Forging a mirror that reflects our true qualities requires deeply honest self-reflection, a brave resolve, and careful consideration.

It is great and wise to be ill at ease when your deeds please the mob. When popular with the mob of public opinion, be concerned and more careful. Pleasing the gods of popular approval most often reflects a decrease of integrity. Don't be satisfied with empty and fickle praise which has no depth or intelligence and can abruptly change. The larger the crowd, the more admiration for foolish delusions. And so, don't follow the herd in anything, be common in nothing; and instead, watch for deception.

Intelligence sees the flaws most miss. It understands the problems and shortcomings in the most popular and enthusiastic endeavors, ideas, and personalities. The uncensored pointing out of these failings, however, only displays a foolish ignorance. It turns allies into enemies, pleasant conversations into contentious skirmishes, smooth-running projects into resentment-generating disasters. Keeping insight into unacknowledged issues private increases skillfulness while too freely expressing them undermines success.

Integrity grows from the discipline of warding off extremes. Even the most commendable virtue becomes a vice when it goes too far. If you squeeze an orange too much, the juice becomes bitter. Best to stop before drinking the dregs, expanding a theory ad absurdum, bloating enjoyment to decadence, over-pursuing justice until it becomes injustice, indulging pleasure until it becomes pain, milking a cow until it bleeds.

Inner integrity colors our experience, our health, even our bodies. Holding fast to a strong strength of purpose filled with virtue, honesty, and wisdom sustains longevity and supports a full and rewarding life. In a similar but opposite way, vice becomes its own punishment undermining health and shortening our years. Foolish, corrupt, and selfish action destroys our sense of purpose and hastens the death of both body and spirit.

In this second, not-typical, probably inserted chapter; power and prestige-seeking is again glorified:
Choose a livelihood that will gain you the most praise and fame. Some professions immediately attract esteem while others—although sometimes more important—do not. Prefer the paths that bring the most prestige, that put you closer to the center of celebrity. An honored reputation brings the breath of life.

In the distant past, straightforward contemplation of communications may have sufficed; but today, lies, deception, half-truths, and proliferating scams dominate the culture. To avoid these traps, we must learn to see more deeply than the status quo surface and become psychic and material event forecasters. In terms of self-evaluation and feedback, be slow and skeptical to accept good news and positive comments; welcoming and open to criticism and unfavorable opinion.

In our quests for success; forbidden, cruel weapons and techniques may give a temporary advantage but the honorable do not use them. We may not be able to avoid conflict in life but we can avoid meanness and hatred. When we respond to an enemy's attack with malice, we let them control us and win on the reputation front if not the physical one. Using a confidence from old friendships turned into enemies displays a kind of treason that destroys honor and prevents trust and respect. Victories gained with great costs to our character and self-respect quickly become embarrassing failures. The wise win not only in external ways but also on the psychological fronts.

In looking after yourself
And caring for others,
Nothing surpasses the gardening of spirit.

Gathered early, this power doubles
And prevents any reckless use of mind.
It brings freedom from our own ideas
And the knowing of what to accept, what to reject.
It overcomes all obstacles,
Reaches invisible heights,
And has no limits.

Firmly planted and deeply rooted in the Tao,
It shows the way to a deep life with eternal vision.

In excess a vice, in timely moderation a virtue; jovial humor can either degrade integrity or add a pleasant spice to situations. Often the encounters most beneficially taken lightly are the same ones most take too seriously. The wise join in the fun to an extent but never go beyond the boundaries of decorum, rectitude, or decency. Humorous wit can extract us from difficult, socially dangerous encounters as well as amplify the good feelings arising from positive experience. The wise use it judiciously.

In every thought and action, maintain an authentic integrity. At all times hold fast to the highest principles, acting how you would hope and expect for a prince or the officials with the most responsibility and power. Much more than position and birth, this unswerving dedication to the good defines a true leader. For those in power, disregard vanity and pomp but hold firm to the highest standards of virtue.