A man on tiptoe
can't walk easily.
The man who strides on ahead is bound to tire.
The kind of person who always insists
on his way of seeing things
can never learn anything from anyone.
Those who always want to be seen
will never help others to be.
The showman is never
secretly respected by anyone.
People like these, say the Wise Ones
are as useless as the left-over food found at a feast.
No true follower can relate to them.
-Tao Te Ching, translated by Man-ho Kwok, Martin Palmer, and Jay Ramsey
-------------------------------------------------------------
Who is puffed up cannot stand,
Who is self-absorbed has no distinction,
Who is self-revealing does not shine,
Who is self-assertive has no merit,
Who is self-praising does not last long.
As for the Way, we may see these are
"excess provisions and extra baggage."
Creation abhors such extravagamces.
Therefore,
One who aspires to the Way
does not abide in them.
-Tao Te Ching, Lao Tzu as translated by Victor H. Mair
---------------------------------------------------------------
Who tiptoes doesn't stand
who strides doesn't walk
who watches himself doesn't appear
who displays himself doesn't flourish
who flatters himself achieves nothing
who parades himself doesn't lead
on the road they say
too much food and a tiring pace
some things are simply bad
thus the Taoist shuns them.
-Tao Te Ching, Lao-tzu, as translated by Red Pine
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