Those steeped in goodness
Are like a newborn baby,
The eternal beginning, the life-bringing source:

Insects don’t sting,
Wild animals don’t attack.
They have weak muscles and soft bones
But a strong and firm grip.
They don’t know anything about sex
But their sexual organs still swell.
Full of true essence in balanced harmony,
They can cry all day without getting hoarse.
With perfectly balanced breath,
They live at endless ease with everything.

Knowing this harmony,
They understand the eternal.
Understanding the eternal,
They become wise.

The foolish though rush about,
Straining and trying to control
Exhausting their vital breath
Leading to rigidity and decay.

Think like the wise, speak like the foolish. While the wise often see through deception and distorted views easily, the majority of people don't want things to change—even if obviously for the better—and resist, often violently, contradictory opinions. Few welcome the truth; most hear it as insult, a condemnation of their judgement, a threat to their status quo security. For this reason the wise hide their clarity and insights from the common spotlight, avoid contradicting as well as being contradicted, and take refuge in silence, only becoming visible in special contexts to carefully selected people.

These teachings are easy to understand,
Easy to practice;
Yet very few understand
Or put them into practice.

These words have an ancient source,
These actions an ancient beginning.
But when this source is unknown,
There can be no real understanding.

Therefore the wise appear simple and ordinary on the outside
While holding a precious treasure concealed within.

The wise put themselves in the background and end up in front. The more talent we have, the more merit we achieve, the more best to hide. The more difficult the challenge, the more demanding the work, the more we should hide our efforts so that they appear natural and spontaneous. Affectation, pretending to be better than we are, or even bragging about real achievements gives a degraded and artificial flavor to even the most admirable accomplishments. Arrogance repels respect while putting ourselves in the background invites it.

The wise learn to master their emotions but only to a middle-way point. An excess of self-control leads to an insipid life but not enough leads to disaster. Emotions can serve us well if we learn to prudently reign them in by using the energy but not letting it go too far. Learn the art of falling into and quickly getting out of anger. Learn how to stop at the right moment by paying attention, acknowledging the feeling, and taking command over your tempers. Any excess of passion leads to less rationality and more negative consequences. The faster we let anything go, the more difficult to slow and stop it. A proverb says, "No one is wise on horseback" but the skillful and wise accomplish this challenge.

The wise have no set mind of their own,
No goals or intensions.
They take the mind of the common people
As their own.
They’re kind to good people
And they’re kind to bad people
Until they become good.
They trust the true
And they trust the false
Until they become true.

With the world
They mix their minds,
With the world
They merge their lives.
People focus their eyes and ears
While sages only smile.

The wise don’t teach people to believe in words
But only to search for the true meaning.
When people are convinced by concepts,
Foolishness abounds.
When leaders are convinced by concepts,
Corruption, confusion, and conflict reign.
When instead they remain unconvinced and open,
Blessings and goodness spread.

Realizing the difference between understanding the words
And understanding the sense
Is a key to the Hidden Power of Goodness.
This power goes deep and reaches far.
It leads all things back to their own true nature.

The wise do nothing through acting,
They do everything through being.
Never making a big deal about anything,
They accomplish everything.

When leaders follow this way,
All things grow naturally
And the world’s passion
To stray from goodness
Is checked at its core
In Nameless Simplicity.

When desires are stilled,
Grasping and fixation dissolve,
Peace reigns,
And in not wanting,
All the world spontaneously
Rests in appreciation.

The valley spirit of the morning light never dies.
The mysterious feminine, the primal mother;
The root and source of heaven and earth,
Elusive as gossamer yet inexhaustible and unfailing.

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.

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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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 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.