The greatest perfection seems flawed
Yet has inexhaustible usefulness.
Perfectly full, it seems empty
Yet never runs dry.

True straightness looks crooked,
True skill looks clumsy,
True eloquence sounds tongue-tied.

Still, it overcomes the active;
Active, it overcomes the still.
Opposites complement each other
Becoming the peaceful and serene
That sets the universe in order.

The highest goodness,
Not revealing or clinging to goodness
Has true goodness.
Lesser goodness tries to hold onto it
And therefore loses it.
The highest goodness involves no effort
Or the thought of effort.
Lesser goodness does nothing
But always has an end in view.

The good the truly good do
Has no end in view.
The good the righteous do
Always has a goal.

When those who act
in conventional obedience to the law
Don’t get their way,
They angrily roll up their sleeves
And try to control, threatening and compelling.

When we lose the Way,
We seek the power of goodness.
When we lose this,
We look to kindness.
When we lose kindness,
We look for justice.
When we lose justice,
We look to opinion: conventional wisdom,
Ritual & obedience to the law.

Opinion is the beginning of ignorance.
Belief is the beginning of delusion
Thinking of our delusion as wisdom
Is the beginning of mental illness
In an individual and a sick society
In politics and culture.

For these reasons,
The wise choose this over that,
The fruit over the flower,
Substance over surface,
The sense over the words,
This over that.

The highest praise goes to those who speak well about those who speak badly about them. Indulge in envy and die not once but every time the envied wins applause. The glory and success of rivals tortures the envious. A lasting fame for a rival creates an eternal punishment for the jealous. To be made unhappy by another's happiness creates one of life's greatest torments. Instead, disengage from competitive rivalries and focus on the positive, practical ways of finding success.

The less a leader does and says,
The happier the people.
The more a leader struts and controls,
The more discontent.

Misery lurks under good fortune,
Happiness hides under misery.
Since nothing is certain,
Who knows what the future holds?

Happiness and misery alternate like the seasons:
Honesty becomes deception,
The fortunate becomes unfortunate,
The ominous becomes auspicious
And our bewilderment goes on and on.

And so the wise become:
An edge that doesn’t cut,
A point that doesn’t pierce,
A line that doesn’t extend,
A light that doesn’t shine.

The more exceptional your success, the more important to hide it. The more light a torch gives out, the quicker it burns away. The more diverse and accomplished the skills and the more success; the more envy, competition, and ill-will engendered. Many believe that bragging about success and flaunting it brings approval and esteem; but instead, it more often only increases resentment. Avoid the limelight and over-familiarity; avoid the extremes of both jack-of-all-trades and incompetence.

The more we want and try to make people like and respect us, the less they do. Actions based on desires to impress others usually only have the opposite effect as well as undermining our integrity. Genuine respect grows from authentic presence and genuine activity, not from advertising credentials and position. Bragging only invites disdain and envy. History mainly honors the results of struggle and integrity, not the outward trappings of unearned circumstance.

The most foolish fail because of not thinking things through at all. The less but still foolish think about their lives and goals but lose focus and easily get distracted by the superficial but flashy, by the unimportant but entertaining. The wise quickly recognize the consequential, see which courses of action lead to gain and which to loss, and prioritize their most diligent concentration and highest skill to the most important issues. For most however, "common sense is not so common" and they never lose their common sense because they didn't have any to lose. They make a big deal about things that don't matter and ignore the most important issues. The wise apprehend life's hidden and obscure treasures, deeply root them in their minds, and apply their most diligent and focused attention.

The most practical skills involve disguising intentions. Imitate the inky cuttlefish to hide your cards, to keep your passions unknown, to conceal even your tastes. The more obvious your goals, the more easily rivals can subvert them or use them to manipulate. Defend your aspirations by balancing caution and reserve against malicious curiosity and competition. This helps avoid both backbiting and flattery.

The oneness of life
Displays itself in its parts:
Clarity expresses oneness in the sky,
Stillness expresses oneness in the earth,
Purity express oneness in spirit.
Valleys express oneness when they flow with rivers,
When the 10,000 creatures realize oneness,
They flourish,
When leaders realize oneness,
They bring peace to the world.

Without clarity, heaven would crack;
Without stillness, the earth would crumble;
Without purity, spirit would dissolve;
Without fullness, valleys would dry up;
Without humility, leaders would fall.

Because the high is built on the foundation of the low,
And humility is the root of greatness,
Good leaders call themselves
Orphaned, widowed, destitute.
Who will keep chasing after the clink of treasure
After they have heard stone growing on a cliff?

The perceived value of a service or product rarely reflects any intrinsic value; but rather, arises from popular beliefs and impressions. Since few think for themselves and most follow the crowd, worthless and harmful products and activities often proliferate while beneficial ones flounder in obscurity. This obscurity, however, can become an opportunity because almost everyone considers themselves a connoisseur above the crowd and will run after the unusual. Instead of calling something easy or common; a little mystery, a striking name, the feeling of being part of an elite group, an impression of only providing a service or product to a special group—these all raise perceived value and price.

The pleasures of conversation increase dramatically when the topics expand wisdom and knowledge, when we can learn from what we hear and can be understood and appreciated for what we say. Our friends can become circles of academic respect, oracles of good judgment, theaters of worldly wisdom, examples of both practical insight and noble behavior. A culture of greater goodness arises from sincere and open communication.

The power of goodwill can surpass ability, intelligence and qualities like diligence, courage, honesty, and education. Without it, even the most skilled find a difficult path to success. With goodwill, however, we gain support from many, their respect, and patronage. They don't see our defects because they don't look for them. Many—to their detriment—prioritize merit over grace and, losing goodwill, invite failure instead of accomplishment. Goodwill easily arises from kindness, empathy, and common interest. It requires effort to gain; but, once earned, naturally endures and gains momentum.

The rate of change increases with time, population density, and technological advances. For an individual to successfully make their way in today's world requires more wisdom than the Seven Sages of ancient Greece combined. We need more skill to deal with just one person than was needed to deal with an entire population in former times.

The root masters the trivial,
Stillness masters moving
And constantly transforms itself.
Therefore the wise
Never leave the root,
Are never seduced by the superficial.
They don’t ignore their body
Chasing external things,
Forgetting their true nature by
Following their emotions.

If leaders are frivolous,
They lose respect.
If impatient and restless,
They lose support.
If self-serving,
They lose all value.

The small-hearted mob finds it much easier to tear those above them down than to improve and raise themselves up. Because much more numerous, this group spawns multiple prying eyes of malice, malicious tongues of slander, and avid ears searching for faults. Seizing on or inventing a small defect, they propagate demeaning nicknames, cultivate rumors, and destroy reputations. Imagined scandals attract much more interest and belief than more mundane and envy-inspiring accomplishments. Easier to prevent than heal, only careful and skillful vigilance avoids these negative consequences.

The source of generosity, heroic inspiration, and genuine virtue; a high-minded inner character elevates the mind, improves taste, ennobles the heart, and inspires courageous attainments. When the bitterness of fate brings defeat and failure, this spirit evades discouragement and holds onto an undiminished confidence. Envied even by bad luck, it brings dignity and resolve to breakdowns, embarrassments, and setbacks.

The Tao is counter-intuitive,
Unconventional, a paradox.
It goes back and back, returning to the root.
Its strength is weakness.
Everything comes from something
But something comes from nothing.

The Tao is like an empty bowl,
Used but never used up.
Those who use it never become full again.
And deep – the source of the ten thousand things.
It blunts sharp edges,
Unties all tangles,
Softens all glare.
One with the dust,
It unites the world into one whole.
It’s like a deep pool that never dries up,
Hidden deep but always here.
Was it too the child of something else?
Or the common ancestor of all,
The father of all things?

The Tao is the hidden center of all things.
Treasured by the good, it brings refuge to the bad.

Beautiful words can buy honor,
Good deeds can buy respect -
Even the most foolish can claim these.
Basic goodness though has no price and is here for all.
Though people stray far from this path,
It will never abandon them.

Therefore when a leader is empowered,
Don’t bother with material gifts or fine words.
Offer instead stillness and uncontrived awareness.

This is why the Tao is revered now and since ancient times:
When looked for, it appears;
When lost, mistaken, and confused;
It begins again fresh and pure.

The thoughtful and perceptive become the most difficult to impress. They quickly see through exaggeration and salespersonship but also have a deep appreciation for the authentic and true. You can train this genuine good taste like education trains the intellect and those trained in this way immediately attract respect. Only goodness satisfies a great mind and even the most skilled scam artists tremble before this kind of perceptive spirit. To know and associate with someone who cultivates this kind of integrity and taste creates great good fortune. You can learn deep lessons leading to great happiness and a meaningful life just by identifying and watching people like this.