Line by Line - Verse 20, Lines 14-15

They look full of discrimination,
while I alone am dull and confused.
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

Others are sharp and clever,
But I alone am dull and stupid.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

Ordinary people are scrutinizing
I alone am obtuse
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

Other people are clever;
I guess I must be stupid.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

One of the inherent problems of a being a sharp intellect is that such a person can too easily become full of themselves! It's a form of narcissism; bathing in our own intellectual prowess.

Genuinely smart individuals can be very adept at manipulating those who are not as brainy. They can create clever ploys to dupe others into performing actions that go against their own self-interests and they can do so in such a way that the unsuspecting never catch on and/or blame themselves for their own "failures."

The sage may appear obtuse, but it has far more to do with not forcing life to conform to selfish expectations. When a person doesn't try to force circumstances and situations, there is no need, purpose nor use for cleverness.

To view the Index page for this series to see what you may have missed or would like to read again, go here.