Chapter 24

Someone on tiptoe doesn’t stand steadily; someone taking long strides doesn’t walk well. In the same way, those who show themselves off don’t shine; those who insist on their own views aren’t respected; those who brag don’t get credit for their merits; those who are self-important aren’t granted superiority. From the standpoint of the Tao, such behaviors are like leftover scraps of food or a tumor on the body — things everyone finds distasteful. So those who follow the Tao have nothing to do with them.