Line by Line - Verse 20, Line 4

What all men fear is indeed to be feared; but how wide and without end is the range of questions (asking to be discussed)!
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

Must I fear what others fear? What nonsense!
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

What the people fear, I cannot be unafraid
So desolate! How limitless it is!
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

Why should you care about the things that worry others? Call bullshit on all that.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

As can easily be seen above, the 1st and 3rd translations agree in meaning, while the 2nd of 4th versions see it differently.

Actually, I think Derek Lin treads between the two.

Lao Tzu went about life with a healthy dose of caution. If people considered something to be bad, there was probably a reason for it, so he would proceed with care, even though he understood the relative nature of value judgments.

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