Chapter 23

Speaking little is the way of one who follows his own nature. A fierce wind does not blow all morning; a sudden downpour does not last all day. Who produces these? Heaven and Earth. If even Heaven and Earth cannot sustain such bursts for long, how much less can a human?

So when someone devotes himself to the Tao, those who also pursue the Tao align with him in it; those who pursue its outward expression align with him in that; and those who fall short in both align with him in their falling short.

Those he meets in the Tao gain the joy of reaching it; those he meets in its expression gain the joy of reaching that; and those he meets in their failure also gain the joy of reaching the Tao. But when his own trust is not enough, others come to distrust him in turn.