Tao Te Ching — some thoughts
Classic philosophy works are a great treat to read after some life experience or reading other self-help/principles/rules of life books. You realize that most of the principles or lessons have been covered already more than 2 thousand years ago. It is the same with Tao Te Ching which I first encountered in the book The Dao of Capital by Spitznagel, which covers the philosophy extensively in the context of investing.
I would split the reading in 2 parts, regarding Tao and self and Tao and government
I. TAO and SELF
Chapter 8:
“ The highest good is like that of water. The goodness of water is that it benefits the ten thousand creatures (equivalent to “all creations”); yet itself does not scramble, but is content with the places that all men disdain. It is this that makes water so near to the Way.
And if men think the ground the best place for building a house upon,
If among thoughts they value those that are profound,
If in friendship they value gentleness,
In words, truth; in government, good order;
In deeds, effectiveness; in actions, timeliness —
In each case it is because they prefer what does not lead to strife
And therefore does not go amiss.”
The chapter I think talks about the path of least resistance (btw I have on my list the book with the same name) which is the preferred way for the Sage practitioner of the Tao as it does not lead to conflict, to inefficient use of energy and time, or strife. It is different from laziness as it implies patience, consistency, stability and use of action when it is the best timing and efficiency.
Chapter 11
“We put thirty spokes together and call it a wheel; but it is on the space where there is nothing that the usefulness of the wheel depends.
We turn clay to make a vessel; but it is on the space where there is nothing that the usefulness of the vessel depends.
We pierce doors and windows to make a house; and it is on these spaces where is nothing that the usefulness of the house depends
Therefore just as we take advantage of what is, we should recognize the usefulness of what is not.”
The words shine well in this chapter and the concept I heard it before in many places (econtalk) but experienced in personal life. I think it is related to path of least resistance and minimalism, as some time you realize that less is more, that where you employ you energy is nothing but the struggle to satisfy some desire, some objective that is not even yours. It feels like meaningless labor. Creating space by simplifying can lead to better solutions.
Chapter 12
“The five colors confuse the eye, the five sounds dull the ear, the five tastes spoil the palate.
Excess of hunting and chasing makes minds go mad
Products that are hard to get impede their owner’s movements.
Therefore the Sage considers the belly not the eye (belly means “inner powers”).
Truly, he rejects that (world outside) but takes this (powers within oneself)”
The senses can lead to chasing too much the material world. This means satisfying the immediate, instant gratification. ”Minds go mad” I think is a good metaphor to current bombardment of media and consumerism (“chasing”). This leads to exhaustion, to meltdowns. The advice is to consider the inner powers, what matters, things that give perspective, that promote the long-term thinking and the development of an inner system. The system will help with avoidance of the hunting and chase and overuse of senses.
Chapter 20
“I alone am inert, like a child that has not yet given sign; like an infant that has not yet smiled.
I drop and drift, as though I belonged nowhere.
All men have enough and to spare; I alone seem to have lost everything.
Mine is indeed the mind of a very idiot, so dull am I.
The world is full of people than shine; I alone am dark.
They look lively and self assured; I alone, depressed.
I seem unsettled as the ocean; Blown adrift, never brought to a stop.
All men can be put to some use; I alone am intractable and boorish.
But wherein I most am different from men Is that I prize no sustenance that comes not from the Mother’s breast (Mother means The Way/Tao)”
One of the best expressions of following your believes. Or is it that when you are following your believes, then the negative thoughts and social comparisons arise?
Chapter 29
“ … For among the creatures of the world some go in front, some follow;
Some blow hot when others would be blowing cold.
Some are feeling vigorous just when others are worn out.
Some are loading just when others would be tilting out.
Therefore the Sage discards the absolute, the all-inclusive, the extreme”.
Tao Te Ching uses many times this opposing duality when expressing the ideas. In this occasions it touches the idea that “creatures under the heaven” are not equal. The second idea is the way of the Tao, avoiding extremes. This reminds me of Cioran.
Chapter 38
“ … That is why it is said: After Tao was lost, then came the “power”;
After the “power” was lost, then came human kindness.
After human kindness was lost, then came morality.
After morality was lost, then came ritual.
Now ritual is the mere husk of loyalty and promise-keeping.
And is indeed the first step towards brawling …”
Could it be a description of “falling” after losing Tao. The end, ritual, means repetition, means a dumb simplicity, a lack of innovation and sophistication in a good sense, a renouncing of self and thinking for yourself to loyalty. Could lead to violence, I think history has shown this happening over and over again.
Chapter 44 & 46
“Fame or one’s own self, which matter to one most? One’s own self or things bought, which should count most? In the getting or the losing, which is worse?
Hence he who grudges expense pays dearest in the end; He who has hoarded most will suffer the heaviest loss.
Be content with what you have and are, and no one can despoil you;
Who stops in time nothing can harm. He is forever safe and secure”
“ … No lure is greater than to possess what others want,
No disaster is greater than not to be content with what one has,
No presage of evil greater than that men should be wanting to get more.
Truly: ‘he who has once known the contentment that comes simply through being content, will never again be otherwise than contented’”
How actual this is, especially in the current attention economy driven by clever marketing and big data insights. I think the words are even clever because they contain the start of a smart strategy to tackle the normal course of life: being content with what you have and do not do big mistakes by looking at low probability or low value things. Also the last verse is about gratitude and awareness of this, which can be sufficient by itself if ones truly realizes this.
Chapter 63 & 64
“ … In the governance of the empire everything difficult must be dealt with while it is still easy,
Everything great must be dealt with while it is still small.
Therefore the Sage never has to deal with the great; and so achieves greatness.”
“ … Deal with the things in their state of not-yet-being,
Put them in order before they got into confusion.
For the tree big as a man’s embrace began as a tiny sprout …”
This is not something knew, it is common sense, but you heard it before either in Jordan Peterson “dragon story” (not confronting a small problem, grows the size of a dragon) or Ray Dalio’s principle “Once you identify a problem, don’t tolerate it”.
Chapter 71
“To know when one does not know is best.
To think one knows when one does not know is a dire disease.
Only he who recognize this disease as a disease, can cure himself of the disease
The Sage’s way of curing disease also consists in making people recognize their diseases as diseases and thus ceasing to be diseased”
First part echoes the famous (un)known unknowns of Mr Rumsfeld. Indeed to think you know when you don’t leads to overconfidence and recklessness.
The second part reminds me of the psychological technique of awareness. Awareness plays a big role in different therapies.
II. TAO and GOVERNMENT
Chapter 13
“ … He who in dealing with the empire regards his high rank as though it were his body is the best person to be entrusted with rule; he who in dealing with the empire loves his subjects as one should love one’s body is the best person to whom one can commit the empire”
Short-cut to ethics via skin-in-the-game. Of course the problem nowadays is to make truth of the persuasions techniques and manipulations employed by leaders and political figures. Sometimes it seems that the manipulation techniques are a purpose in themselves, if not, then just staying into power.
Chapter 23
“ … To those that have conformed themselves to the Power (Way/Tao), the power readily lends more power. While to those who conform themselves to inefficacy, inefficacy readily lends its ineffectiveness. “It is by not believing in people that you turn them into liars””
As annotated by the translator (Arthur Waley) — “If one uses disbelief as one’s instrument of government, the result will be a nation of liars”
Sometimes I think the leaders don;t even want to listen to the people, because it will generate a direct conflict. Second-order effect I think is best explained by “nation of liars” result. This reminds me of Romania pre & post December 1989.
Chapter 57
‘Kingdoms can only be governed if rules are kept;
Battles can only be won if rules are broken’
Chapter 61
“A large kingdom must be like the low ground towards which all streams flow down … Its part must be that of the female in its dealing with all things under heaven. The female by quiescence conquers the male… What large countries really need is more inhabitants; and what small countries need is some place were their surplus inhabitants can go and get employment.”
Pretty visionary, given recent migrant exodus from Africa, Middle East, Asia and Central/South America. A thoughtful, gradual long-term strategy in this regard could be beneficial. But the civilizations clash (probably not foreseen 2 thousand years ago) makes this stratagem difficult to maintain and implement.
Chapter 65
“In the days of old those who practiced Tao with success did not, by means of it, enlighten the people, but on the contrary sought to make them ignorant.
The more knowledge people have, the harder they are to rule.
Those who seek to rule by giving knowledge are like bandits preying on the land
Those who rule without giving knowledge bring a stock of good fortune to the land …”
This seems wrong, but it is the Tao …what could they mean? Maybe some “A brave new world” kind of dangerous society, where people are drowned in information (knowledge), which leads to saturation?
Chapter 69
The strategists have the sayings: ‘When in doubt your ability to meet the enemy’s attack, take the offensive yourself’ and “If you doubt your ability to advance an inch, then retreat a foot’
