Line by Line - Verse 22, Lines 17-18

It is because he is thus free from striving that therefore no one in the world is able to strive with him.
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

They do not quarrel,
So no one quarrels with them.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

Because they do not contend, the world cannot contend with them
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

She's not out to get anybody which is why nobody can get in her way.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

Some people have accused me of having a Taoist philosophy shaped by my socialist leanings. I don't deny it because any person's philosophy is shaped by their beliefs and experiences. It would be next too impossible for this not to be so!

That said, in my opinion, these two lines offer a stark critique of the capitalist system, a system built upon the rock solid foundation of competition. We are socialized to believe that the only way we as individuals or a society can move forward is via an adversarial system.

But an adversarial system institutionalizes competition which invariably leads to conflict; winners and losers. When we don't compete, who can compete against us? When we don't try to win at all costs, there can't be others who lose everything.

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