that (the ideas of) height and lowness arise from the contrast of the one with the other;As I read the various interpretations of this line, it makes me think of the pursuit of status. So many people tie their self-identified self-worth to what rung on the social, financial, political, popular or athletic ladder they stand on. The push is to be #1 -- standing alone on the top rung.
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~
High and low rest upon each other;
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~
High and low support each other
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~
Things are up high because other things are down low.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~
No matter how hard a person works and strives, there almost always is someone a little higher on the scale. Even if someone makes it to the top of their company, industry or craft, it's not long before someone else comes along and passes them up.
Just for the sake of argument, let's say some individual claims the top spot of whatever and no one comes close to their status. While this person may be the top salesperson, boxer, recording artist or janitor, he or she concurrently may be one of the worst cooks, drivers, public speakers or lovers!
In the end, no matter how accomplished we are in one or more areas, we will be novices or klutzes in others. We should learn to endeavor to be the best we can be without regard to where we land on any perceived scale.
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I've noticed that many also tie the worth of others to which rung of the social, financial, etc. ladder they are on.
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