Chapter 29

Chapter 29

Do you want to rule the world and control it?
I don’t think it can ever be done.

The world is a sacred vessel
and it can not be controlled.
You will only make it worse if you try.
It may slip through your fingers and disappear.

Some are meant to lead,
and others are meant to follow;
Some must always strain,
and others have an easy time;
Some are naturally big and strong,
and others will always be small;
Some will be protected and nurtured,
and others will meet with destruction.

The Master accepts things as they are,
and out of compassion avoids extravagance,
excess and the extremes.

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This chapter has a deterministic account of the events of the world. There are naturally the strong and the weak in the world. It looks as though that Laozi is saying that everyone has his own place in the world. In fact, the stoic philosophy also argues that a shoemaker is a shoemaker. That is, one’s capabilities may not exceed those required for a position endowed to him by nature. This does not mean that a shoemaker’s job is worthless. In fact, even a shoemaker can be a stoic.

Do not strive for the impossible. Know your place from a realistic point of view. It can be argued that in the book 50th Law, Frederick Douglass is one example that fought against the impossible, rose to the occasion, and played a contributing role to the transformation of the social convention that stood against the black people. Greene notes that if Douglass possessed that power, so can we. This is an inspirational lesson, to be sure. However, Greene also cautions us to be realistic in setting our goals. Whether your goal was idealism or realism will be determined by its result. The question is, how will you accept it when things do not turn out in your way?

“Some will be protected and nurtured, and others will meet with destruction.”

From the viewpoint of a sage or ruler, he cannot help but dismiss the graveness of usual tragedies that occur to individual humans. In the 48 laws of power, Greene notes that it would be a tremendous waste of energy for a politician to play method acting with regard to every national disaster or calamity. The leader of a nation is too busy to involve himself emotionally with every single event. People will naturally die every day, or even every second, statistically.