Line by Line - Verse 27, Lines 13-14

Therefore the man of skill is a master (to be looked up to) by him who has not the skill;
~ James Legge translation, from The Sacred Books of the East, 1891 ~

What is a good man?
A teacher of a bad man.
~ Gia-fu Feng and Jane English translation, published by Vintage Books, 1989 ~

Therefore the good person is the teacher of the bad person
~ Derek Lin translation, from Tao Te Ching: Annotated & Explained, published by SkyLight Paths, 2006 ~

Good people teach others who have the potential to be good.
~ Ron Hogan rendition, from Beatrice.com, 2004 ~

In my mind's eye, I know of few people that simply are good or simply are bad. Most everyone I have ever encountered is a mixture of the two. Consequently, while these two lines could well refer to separate individuals, I tend to view them as talking about the different aspects of myself.

In this vein, the goodness within me can serve as an example (a teacher) to that part of my personality that tends toward disharmony. By more fully embracing my virtuous self, I can work to lessen the part of me that is not so virtuous.

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