Wen Tzu - Verse 28

from Verse Twenty-Eight

Words have a source and works have a basis. If you lose the source and the basis, even if your skills are many it is better to speak little. What harms the people is craft, so if the clever have their fingers cut off, that shows it is not well to exercise great craft.

~ Wen-tzu: Understanding the Mysteries ~

Too bad Bernie Madoff wasn't familiar with this verse of the Wen Tzu. Maybe he wouldn't be in prison right now.

Of course, Madoff merely is a big fish on a big stage. Almost all of us are guilty of trying to manipulate and contrive circumstances to meet the needs of our egos. Our efforts often pay off in the short-term, but the question is: At what cost?

When any of us get "what we want" through cleverness or deceit, it ends up being an ill-gotten gain. If the truth of the matter later comes to light, it often causes bad feelings, distrust and anger from those we hood-winked. Even when we are able to shield the truth from prying eyes, we must ask ourselves: Is what we gained worth more than disturbing the harmony of the universe?

This post is part of a series. For an introduction, go here.