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True words aren't eloquent;
eloquent words aren't true.
Wise men don't need to prove their point;
men who need to prove their point aren't wise.
The Master has no possessions.
The more he does for others,
the happier he is.
The more he gives to others,
the wealthier he is.
The Tao nourishes by not forcing.
By not dominating, the Master leads.
81
Tao Te Ching, a New English Version, copyright ©️ 1988 by Stephen Mitchell, published by HarperCollins. All rights reserved.
I will likely never read the super best seller How to Win Friends & Influence People by Dale Carnegie because the title gives me the creeps. I’ve heard the book is actually quite profound and valuable and I don’t mean to judge the book solely by its title (I even skimmed through the chapters and it doesn’t sound that bad) but I’m still terrified of buying any book that tries to teach you so blatantely “how to make friends and influence people”.
The reason I feel so strongly about it is because it’s a reminder of two contradicting selves that coexist uncomfortably in me.
One of the selves really wants to get what he wants, and would do everything in his power to get it. Plots, schemes, subtle manipulation and negotiation tactics are all fair game in the quest to impose his will over others. And why not? It seems that everyone else is playing that game anyway. The world is constantly telling him that he has to choose his words and actions very carefully because even small tweaks to them lead to different results. Better results. So If he’s gonna say words and do things anyway, why not choose them accurately to get what he wants? Why is what he wants less important than what others want? This self is evidently optimizing to get money, strength, pleasure and attention.
The other self is essentially the opposite and is described by this chapter (go back and read it). To him, all of the previously mentioned strategies and tactics are cheap, unhealthy and destructive. He optimizes for peace, power, a nourished soul and wealth.
Accept, give and release VS. strategy, tactics and manipulation.
Is one always better than the other? I don’t know. The heart wants one but the brain seems to reach for the other. To make it worse, as far as I can tell, it doesn’t seem like a black or white kind of situation. For now, I’ll have to settle for noticing which self is taking the spotlight of my consciousness and decide which game I want to play at that moment.
Song Picks of the Week (Official TTT Playlist here)
Classical. I’ve woken up with this prelude in my head for three days straight.
Something a little different. (Perfect for a Quentin Tarantino film)
The musical equivalent of water:
Thank you for reading! Those who know the Tao Te Ching will notice that this is the last chapter of the book (81) and therefore the end of Tao Te Tuesday Newsletter under this format. 81 straigh weeks of meditating, stuying and writing about the Tao recquires some closing thoughts with a little more depth and reflection, so I will do one more sendout next Tuesday with that and a little more of what to expect in the future.
Until next Tuesday!
Daniel